l\\    i'^\       -Z^^  ^ 


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Xl 


REPRINT  CF  SZCCND  EDITION. 


f\T)Q\eT)t  Qlty  of  ^or^eapa 


TOWN  OF  YORK 

fhom  its  earliest  •si:ttlemext. 


ITS  BEilCiirS  Ml)  SuimER  RECORTS, 


VVritt:n,  Ccrr.prK    ;  '.jrnposod 

i:v  c;i:o.  a  lex.  lmei^v. 


YORK  CORXER : 
CouKAXT  Stp:am  Jod  Pkixt. 


Entered  according' to  Act  of  Congi'css,  in  the  year 

1873, l)y 

GKORGE  ALEX  KMERY, 

I:i  llie  or/ice  of  the  Lilinirian  of  Congress  at 

Washington. 

C  )pyright  assigned  to 

GEOIKJE     F.     i'LAISTED, 

Y(>v';  Corner,  I^Ie. 

All  llights  rcocrvelt 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORJliU 

SAATA  BAKBAIt^ 


ENQRAVINQS 


M'Intire  Garrison  House,  .  Fror.t-'?pioce. 
Old  Applo  Tree,  .  .  .  I*ago  79 
Junkins  Garrison  House,  .  .  .181 
Le  Juif  Errant, 245 


'Oreo  in  Time's  morr\ing,  when  Ymir  lived, 
There  was  no  sand,   no  sea,  no  salty  waves; 
No  earth  was  found,   nor  heaven's  high  firnnament 
Only  a  yawning  gulf,  but  grass  nowhere. 


PilK  LWOi: 


Tjil;  liistory  of  most  of  the  towns  of  Xc-w  En- 
gland possesses  principally  a  local  interest,  and 
pi-rii::i)s  tliere  is  notliin;^  snfficiently  distinctive  in 
the  records  cf  the  locality  of  which  wc  have 
treated  in  this  little  volume  to  make  the  work 
of  more  importance  to  the  general  reader.  Yet, 
as  York  was  one  of  the  earliest  settled  of  the 
seaports  north  of  the  Massachusetts  Ct/lony,  and 
for  a  considerahle  time  had  a  reputation  amonij 
the  hetler  known  of  the  towns  planted  upon  the 
coast,  there  are  events  connected  witli  it  that 
afford  material  of  value  in  a  historical  aspect,  and 
which  may  entitle  it  n)ore  than  many  t)ther  places 
to  he  regarded  as  iilustraling  the  manners,  the 
custon^.s  of  living,  and  the  general  cha;acterislics 
of  the  towns  of  its  class  for  many  years  after  its 
original  settlement. 


Preface. 


While  the  town  liaJ  been  stationary,  if  not 
n-;  irly  retrograding,  for  many  years  up  to  a  recent 
date,  its  advantages  as  a  watering-phicc  have 
since  then  attracted  increasing  attention,  and  liavc 
given  a  new  impulse  to  its  growth,  the  effect  of 
which  is  palpably  app:;rent.  It  is  now  widely 
known  as  one  of  the  most  eligibly  situated  and 
altogether  desirable  of  sea-side  resorts.  The 
efforts  made  to  improve  the  natural  attractions  of 
the  place,  by  providing  for  the  comfort  anil  fur- 
nishing facilities  for  the  enjoyment  of  those  who 
vi^it  it,  have  greatly  added  to  its  popularity.  It 
has  entered  ui)()n  a  new  stage  in  its  career,  and 
before  this  is  completed  the  town  is  likely  to 
have  a  national  fame.  Its  position  invites  tliis, 
and  the  intelligent  efforts  of  those  who  had  the 
sagacity  to  appreciate  its  resources  as  a  watering- 
place  have  improved  and  utilized  what  nature  has 
done  in  this  respect.  It  is  wi:h  a  view  to  interest 
not  alone  the  "u'l  loiianls  oi  li:e  vicinity,  but  the 
thousands  who  will  be  brought  to  know  it  through 
its  associations  as  a  place  of  summer  residence, 
that  this  brief  record  of  its  history  has  been 
prepared. 


TOPICAL    INDEX. 


PACK 

A^aMiciilicus.  Mount 24 

Anci'jiit  iuul  Moilern  St-alawags, 225 

AppU'-tre'c.  old, 89 

Bnptist  ("Imnhes      211) 

Boon  I-land.  J^hipwrt'ck, 1G2 

Clmisus  of  Yoik 233 

(\•n8U^  over  a  Century  ago, 174 

Coasting.  Shipping. 240 

Coniincrce  of  York.  Wharves, KjG 

Congregational  Chnreli, 101 

County  Court.s  and  OJIicers.  Jail, 03 

Criminal  Court.  Devil's  Invention, 130 

])o\v,  Lorenzo,   Thysieians, 123 

Dannuer,  Krv.  Shuhael.  Killed, 102 

Early  Schools IGO 

Earthcf lakes.  Cold  Weather,  Sntnv  Storms,    .    80 

First  Settlements  in  ]Maino 11 

Foundation  of  the  City  of  Gorgcana,  ....    38 

Garrison  Houses.  Scolhind, 87 

Gorgeana  and  Yolk.      21 

Haunted  House  and  Ghost, 175 

Isles  of  Shoals,  Attempts  to  Uevululiuujze,     .    5G 


TiPjpir((f   Index. 


liiiliin  If.i'hl  at  C.pj  Ncdilock, 128 

M'IiUirc't<,  tlio 53 

JMainc  Sold  to  r\I,issacliusftts, 128 

Manuf.icti:i\'s  in  York 235 

IMarshall   Ilnuso, 247 

iNIetluMlist,  ("liurcli, -215 

Moo.ly.  IJev.  FatlKT 102 

JNIiirphy  tlR'  Wife  Munlercr, lt)5 

MiiMfies  at  tiie  Sho  ils 1)7 

01(1  Stacy  Ilonso,  Ilanuon  jMassaco,  ....    DO 

Ordination  Expenses 24-t 

Priiiiitivo  and  Inf.int  ScliooLs 230 

Saint  Aspinqiiid '    .    ,    .  132 

Schools  and  Sclioolinastcrs, 210 

Sea-side  Ke^orts 237 

S^-ttlenient  of  York 30 

Sewall's  Bridiro, 101) 

Sewall  Mansion 9G 

Sliower  of  .Meteors, 232 

Sloop-wreck 245 

Smith,  ('apt    John ■ 4G 

Stevens  the  Child  Murderer,       194 

Tempera  K'C  Customs  now  Extinct,      .    .    .    .127 

Witches  and  Witchcraft, 133 

Witiiam,  liariholoniow,  Betsy,  Euth,    ....  182 
Woni.n  Erohib'ied  fiom  Living  at  the  Shoal ^.  5') 

York  Massacre, 144: 

York  Records, 03 

York  Veterans, 219 


J[irst  ^cttltiuenls  in  ||I:nne. 

— M>^^:sE^^<N — 

In  the  Old  World  the  monuments  of  an 
ancient  people  often  record  their  chronicles. 
In  North  America,  such  intelligible  records 

are  wanting.      Within  almost  every  state  and 

* 

territory  remains  of  human  slvill  and  labor 
have  been  found,  which  seem  to  attest  the 
existence  of  a  civilized  nation,  or  nations, 
before  the  ancestors  of  our  numerous  Indian 
tribes  became  masters  of  the  continent. 
Some  of  these  a])pcar  to  give,  indisputable 
evidence  of  intercourse  between  the  people 
of  the  Old  ^Vorld  and  those  of  America  cen- 
turies, pcrha;  s,  before  the  birth  of  Christ, 
and    extending   into    later   periods.     For  in- 


12  YorJc  and  Gorgcana, 

stance  :  a  Persian  coin  was  found  in  Ohio  ;  a 
Roman  coin,  in  IMissouri ;  a  small  piece  of 
silver,  in  Genesee  County,  New  York,  with 
"  A.  D.  GOO"  engraved  on  it.  Traces  of  iron 
utensils  wholly  oxidized,  or  rodac.d  to  rust, 
mirrors  of  mica  or  isinglass,  and  glazed  pot- 
tery, have  also  been  discovei  cd  in  mounds  of 
the  Western  States.  These  are  evidences 
of  the  existence  of  a  race  far  more  civilized 
than  the  tribes  found  here  by  mo;lcrn 
Europeans. 

No  mariners  were  so  adventurous  as  the 
Northmen,  or  Scandinavians,  of  the  regions 
of  the  nort'.i  of  Europe  now  embraced  in 
Denmark,  Finland,  Iceland,  Lapland,  Nor- 
>vay,  Sweden.  In  A.  D.  1032,  according  to 
an  Icelandic  chronicle,''-'  a  Norwegian  vessel, 

♦The  oil]  chronicle  referred  to,  and  now  in  ex- 
istence, says  tliat  Gudrida,  wife  of  a  Scandinavian 
navigator,  «favo  birth  to  ji  chikl  in  America,  who 
bore  tlie  name  of  Snorre  ;  and  it  is  fu  ther  asserted 
that  Bertel  Tliorwalsdcn,  tlie  great  Danish  sculp- 


Fii'tit  Settlements  in  Maine.        13 

commanded  by  Captain  Lief,  sail' d  from 
Iceland  for  Greenland.  A  gale  drove  the 
voyagers  to  the  coast  of  Labrador,  in  North 
America.  They  explored  the  shores  south- 
ward to  the  regions  of  a  geni  d  climate, 
where  they  found  nobb  forests  and  abun- 
dance of  grapes.  This  it  is  s -pposed  was  in 
the  vic'nily  of  the  coast  of  Massachusetts  ; 
and  accounts  exist  of  these  or  other  voyagers 
exploring  the  coast  to  the  eastward  many 
hundreds  of  miles,  and  of  s  ttlements  made, 
for  a  longer  or  shorter  peii  id,  in  many  places 
near  or  on  the  const  of  Maine.  In  the 
absence  of  actual  charts  or  maps  wherewith 
to  fix  these  localities  of  l.ititude  and  longi- 
tude, they  remain  subjects  of  conjecture 
only,  for  these  explorers  loft  few  dcfin'te 
traces   of  their  presence   here,   unless  it   be 

tor,  \va>  a  (loscciidiuit  of  this  early  white  Ameri- 
can. The  records  of  these  voyai^es  were  coiui»iK'd 
by  Ijishop  Thorhiek,  of  feehmd,  who  is  also  a  de- 
scendant of  Snorre, 


14  York  and  Gorgeana. 

conceded  that  the  remains  of  fortifications 
and  rude  semblances  of  dwellings,  concern- 
ing the  orig'n  of  which  annals  and  traditions 
arc  silent,  were  the  relics  of  ])eople  from  this 
portion  of  the  Eastern  Hemisphere. 

The  information  which  Vasco  De  la  Vega 
has  left  on  record  is  important,  as  it  dates 
prior  to  that  of  Christopher  Columbus.  He 
tolls  us  that  Sfjnchez,  vvho  used  to  trade  in 
a  small  vessel  to  the  Canary  Islands,  was 
driven  by  a  furious  storm  "  over  unto  those 
western  countries,"  and  at  his  return  he 
gave  to  Colon,  or  Columbus,  an  account  of 
-what  lie  had  seen  ;  but  he  soon  after  died  of 
a  disease  he  liad  contracted  on  the  danger- 
ous voyage. 

The  two  Cabots,  Sebastian  and  John,  — 
father  and  son,  — under  the  commission  of 
King  Henry  Vn.,  in  1497,  made  more  exten- 
sive discoveries  of  America  than  either  Co- 
luml)us  or  Americus  \^es])ucius ;  and  the 
yoiniger  of  them  had  great  honors  conferred 


T'li'Si  Scitle:sirnfs  hi  M  I'.iin.        \o 

on  him  by  E:l  var.l  VI  ,  anil  a  p:iisio;i  which 
lie  cnJDYcd  till  111'  died  of  old  a^^o.  Colum- 
bus  did  not  discover  anv  part  of  the  conti- 
nent till  1-193;  and  A'cspucivis  visited  the 
continent  a  conuderablo  time  later.  A 
series  of  discoura  ■iir!;  disasters  attended  the 
endeavors  of  the  Freneli  and  opanir^h  to  col- 
onize Florida  and  the  rest  of  the  continent, 
even  as  far  north  as  \'ir^inia,  —  so  called  by 
reason  of  the  first  v;hitc  child  born  to  Ana- 
nias Dare,  in  1.335. 

The  courage  of  :3ir  nunip"';rey  Gilbert  and 
Captain  Le.rtholomcvv-  Gosnold,  and  several 
other  adventurers,  served  to  give  impetus  to 
others  upon  like  expeditions.  Gosnold,  in  a 
small  barque,  on  ^lay  11,  1G02,  landed  on 
this  coast  in  latitude  f  .rtv-threc  dcijrrocs,  and 
remarked  that  he  liked  the  welcome  he  had 
from  the  savages  that  came  aboard,  yet  he 
disliked  the  climate  ;  so  that  he  thought  it 
necessary  to  stand  more  southward  into  the 
sea.     The    next    morning  he  found  himself 


York  and  Gorgeana, 


embayed  wiihin  a  mighty  head  of  land,  which 
promontory,  in  remembrance  of  the  codfish 
so  plentiful  there',  he  called  Cape  Cod,  a 
name  which  it  will  never  lose  till  the  shoals 
of  fish  ar?  to  be  seen  swimming  over  the 
tops  of  the  highest  hills. 

In  150G,  Sir  Francis  Drake  visited  the 
New  Fngland  States,  vvhilc  on  his  adventur- 
ous voyage  around  tlic  world.  After  this  and 
up  to  the  time  of  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims 
near  IMymouth,  Dec.  11  (O.  S.),  1G20,  vari- 
ous adventurers  from  the  Ei stern  Continent 
visited  tliese  New  England  coasts  :  some 
for  the  purpose  of  making  discoveries,  some 
to  trade  with  the  natives,  and  some  with 
an  intent  of  establishing  settlements  here, 
and  for  other  purposes.  Among  the  native 
savages  v.hom  the  Pilgrims  found  here,  in 
1G21.  and  who  had  been  spared  to  survive  the 
plague  of  1G17-18,  were  two  distinguished 
natives,  Samosct,  and  Squanto,  alias  Tis- 
quantum,  who  were  not  only  loyal  to  their 


K'mp^,  Cliicf,  or  Siigamoro/-'  ?'ussasoit,  but 
friendly  to  the  I  il.;iiins,  who  in  turn  tr'jatcd 
tliem  ki  ully.  aiul  smoked  f  v.i.li  them  the 
pipe  of  peace,  Samoset,  as  he  came  from 
the  wilderness  to  meet  them,  has  been  thus 
described  : 

''  With  frame  erect,  and  j^trangely  painted  o'er, 
Behcd  around  his  loins,  a  Sagamore, 
AVhose  bony  arms  a  l;o\v  and  arrow  held, 
A  lieart  unsoiled  his  tawny  bo-om  swelled 

*  Indian  Chiefs  were  niilitary  commanders,  or 
leaders.  Sachems  were  the  first  civil  heads  of 
nations  or  trilics.  Sa^uamores  were  the  second 
lieads  of  nations  or  tribes. 

t  Tobacco,  which  is  in(;ig(.  nous  to  America,  was 
in  common  use  among  I  lie  Indians  for  smoking 
when  the  white  n;en  first  came  here.  But  the 
practice  of  chewing  it  is  an  invention  of  the  white 
people.  The  calumet,  or  pipe  of  i)e;'.ce,  was  made 
of  pipe-clay,  and  often  orn;imented  Avith  feathers. 
The  sailors  in  the  fleet  of  Columbus  afier  their 
arrival  home  stated  that  ti.ey  saw  ''the  Indians 
roll  up  long  leaves  of  the  tobacco-plant,  and 
suioke  like  devils  " 


18  York  and  Gortjcana. 

To  generous  deeds.    He  broken  English  spake, 
And  talked  anon  of  men,  —  of  Francis  Drake, 
That  gallant  white  man,  years  before,  who  came, 
And  gave  New  England  her  historic  name." 

Speculations  are  rife  whether  Cabot,  Car- 
tier,  De  Monts,  or  Verazzani  might  not  have 
made  his  first  hind-fall  hereabouts,  —  for  on 
a  clear  day  Agamenticus  Mountain  is  visible, 
near  forty  miles  at  sea,  —  or  dreamed  of  the 
discoveries  of  an  even  more  remote  antiquity. 
Gosnold  n;ust  have  sighted  old  Agamenticus 
in  1G02,  as  he  fell  in  with  the  New  England 
coast  in  latitude  forty- t'.rec  degrees.  The 
caravel  of  John  Smith,  with  its  oddly-shaped 
prow,  and  high,  oruamehtal  stern,  no  doubt 
breasted  the  tide  of  York  harbor,  in  1G14. 

Captain  Christopher  Lea'-i.t,  under  the 
auspices  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  explored 
a  portion  of  the  coast  of  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire  in  1G2.3.  and  v/as  importuned  by 
the  friendly  Indians  in  the  vicinity  to  settle 
ill  what  is  noiv  Portlaiid,  after  cxpljring  the 


F.r.s'  Srfflcnini^s  hi  Maine.        19 

C();ist:4  of  Boorlibay.  ()g  'nquit,  York.  lie 
\va=!  visitjcl  by  the  }.;roat  Saf^amorcs  of  the 
country,  wlio  implored  him  to  stay  with 
th  m.  Despi  e  the  moving  arguments  and 
entreaties  of  the  natives  to  remain,  he  sailed 
for  England  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year, 
leaving  behind  ten  of  his  men  ;  and  as  he 
gave  over  his  design  of  returning  for  several 
years,  his  fortified  habitation  at  that  place 
was  no  doubt  deserted  by  its  garrison. 

The  first  English  grant  on  this  continent 
was  made  by  James  I.,  in  1606.  The  next 
3-ear  a  settlement  was  made  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Kennebec  River,  under  Sir  John 
Popham  and  Sir  John  Gilbert.  They  set- 
tled on  an  island  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
before  mentioned,  intending  that  the  colony, 
should  be  planted  on  the  mainland,  on  the 
west  sid  J  of  the  river.  The  settlement  was 
not  a  success.  Whether  all  the  colonists 
returned  to  England  or  not,  cannot  now  be 
known.      In    1016,   after    the   visit  of  John 


20  York  and  Gorgeana, 

Sniitli,  the  gTcat  explorer,  in  1014,  Richard 
Vines  came  ovr  and  settled  near  the  mouth 
of  Saco  r.iver  :  since  which  time,  beyond  a 
doubt,  the  coast  of  ]^.Iaiuc  has  not  wanted 
white  settlers. 

There  was  a  t^irporary  sctth  mcnt  in  Pem- 
aquid,  now  Bristol,  ?J:.ine,  as  early  as  1G25. 
On  the  banks  of  t:ie  Pcmaqr;id  is  an  old  fort, 
once  called  WiUiarn-IIenry,  a..d  afterwards 
Frederick-GeorgCv  built  of  stone,  in  1G92, 
and  taken  by  the  French  in  1G96.  '"  Here 
arc  found  gravestones  of  a  very  early  date, 
and  streets  regularly  laid  out  and  paved,  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  fort.  On  the  side  of  the 
river  o';p.)site  to  the  fort  tan-pits  have  been 
disc  -vered,  the  ])lan^:  remaining  in  a  state  of 
preservation.  In  other  places  cofRns  have 
been  dug  up,  which  bear  indubitable  evi- 
dence of  remote  antiquity." 


^orrir:iii;t  anb  ijoili 


^>D 


Tin:  ancient  maritime  town  of  York,  Maine, 
on  the  Atlantic  coast,  loc.-.tccl  in  latitude  43° 
10'  north,  longit.idc  7d^  40'  west,  is  bounded 
south-east  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  north-east 
by  Vv'ells,  north-west  by  F.'oulh  Cerv.i.k.  and 
south-west  by  Kittery,  the  s:ttlGment''''  of 
which,  accordiuL^  to  Edward  Godfvcy,  bcgarx 
soon  after  the  landin'^  of  t!ic  Pi'i^rims  in  the 
^lay-Flowcr,  near  riymo-aili,  J;rass.  (1G20), 
and  v.as  then  called  Aganienticus,  or  Acco- 
menticus  —  signifying,  in  the  Indi  n  tongue. 


*  TIr'  lir.-t  scttk'nu'i'.t  ii  ^Sl.uwj  w.js  at  Kittery, 
in  lOio.  Iv  ttiTV.  S.u-!),  \V(.:ls,  York,  nfv  ol'ten 
sijokcn  of.  l)y  anL-lcat  a:i:l  iii)  L'r:i  writers,  as  the 
"Anciint  Pl.;n;ali!;ns  "'  A;4;n:u'.i  i m  setlkMncnt 
was  i::f().p;;:-.;tj.l  A.  1).  1  (;:];).  a.-.d  thjn  cont.u.K-vl 
one  li;:n(h-i'.l  and  iK.y  ^i)■l!s.  Tiic  I-K's  of  Sl-oals 
had,  \\\c  .-;iiiio  yvar,  hvo  l:uaih\il  ia!i.il)i;aiits. 


22        Ancient  City  of  Gorjeana. 

•'  on  the  othsr  side  of  the  river.''  This  was  the 
name  of  a  moinitaiii  six  hundred  and  eighty 
feet  high,  consisting  of  three  elevations,  sit- 
uated in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  about 
five  miles  from  the  sea.  It  in  not  broken, 
rocky,  or  steep,  but  is  covered  with  woods 
and  shrubs,  interspersed  with  small  patches 
of  pasture,  and  large  crowning  rocks  which 
form  its  summit.  It  is  a  noted  landmark  for 
mariners,  and  is  the  first  height  seen  by  them 
from  the  sea  on  the  coast  northward  and  east- 
ward of  Po:tsmouth.  This  mountain  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  the  land  first  discovered 
by  Capt.  Bartholomew  Gosnold,  tlij  English 
navigator,  in  1G02,  and  was  also  visited  by 
Martin  Pring,  in  ICOo;  but  it  is  not  until  tlic 
voyage  cf  the  French  along  the  coast,  in  1G05, 
that  a  distinct  ref  renco  to  ib  is  made  in  any 
record.  Gosnold  is  thought  to  have  made  a 
landing  at  the  Nubble,  near  York  '•  Long 
Beacli,  and  called  it  Savage  Hock."" 

Tlie  village  part  of  \'ork  is  situated  ninety- 


Modern  Toirn  of  Yorh,  23 

nine  miles  south-west  from  Augusta,  forty- 
five  miles  south-west  by  south  from  Portland, 
twenty-two  miles  south-south-east  from  Al- 
fred, and  nine  miles  north  by  east  from 
Portsmouth,  N.  II.  The  population  of  this 
town  in  early  times  amounted  to  only  a  few 
hundreds. 

At  this  time  Indian  tribes  were  scattered 
throughout  the  neighborhood  and  all  around 
tlie  suburbs,  kccp'ng  tlie  settlers  in  constant 
fear  and  jeopardy  of  their  lives,  they  being 
at  the  mercy  of  these  cruel  barbarians,  more 
especially  in  wiuter,  wlio  came  on  snow- 
shoes,  often  surprising  the  unwary  and 
almost  defenceless  iahabitants  in  the  severest 
weatlier  and  on  the  darkest  nights. 

The  principal  harbor  is  formed  by  ^'ork 
river,  v.ith  water  suinci-nt  for  vessel ;  of  two 
or  three  hundred  tons  burthen.  Tiie  entrance, 
however,  which  is  directly  in  t!ie  rear  of  the 
Marshall  House,  is  dilucult,  being  narrow 
and   crooked. 


24        AiickHt  ('if J  of  ('!o;'-;rffna. 

Advent  .rcrs  and  soarc'-icr;  af.or  fossils 
have  asserted  that  ehims  have  bcc:i  dug  on 
the  borders  of  this  river,  north  of  the  site 
of  the  Barrell  ?,Iill-da  n,  m^asurin;^  over  a  foot 
in  diameter. 

Agame;:ticus,  or  York  river,  receives  no 
considerable  supply  from  i^s  short  fresh  watei 
stream  above  the  head  of  the  tide,  and  con- 
qnently  is  indebted  to  t^e  ocLan  for  its 
existence.  Its  length  of  (lood-tide  is  seven 
miles.  ]\Iuch  shipping  was  formerly  carried 
on  here.  \Varehouses  and  wharves  were 
numerous  ]\Iany  vessels,  several  cf  them 
ships,  were  built  on  this  river. 

The  other  hc^rbor  is  Cape  Nedtlock, 
about  four  miles  north-east  of  the  former. 
The  latter  is  navigab'e  for  about  a  mile 
from  the  sea  at  full  tides  only,  it  having  a 
sand-bar  at  its  mouth  suivicient  to  prevent 
vessels  of  any  considerable  draft  from  pass- 
ing at  low-tide. 

Four    miles    distant    easterly    from    York 


Modern  Town  of  Yoric,  25 

harbor,  a  part  cf  whi^h  is  a  most  beautiful 
beach  of  white  sand,  is  Ca;)c  Ncdclo?k  Iviver, 
a  stream  fiowini,^  from  the  foot  of  Mount 
Agam^nticus.  It  receives  its  waters  from 
the  sea,  has  a  sand-bar  at  ils  mouth,  and  is 
so  smidl  of  itself  as  to  bo  fordable  at  half- 
tide.  It  is  never  navigable  more  than  a  mile 
from  the  ocean  at  hisrh- water.  Several  mills 
have  been  erected  on  this  and  other  small 
streams  emptying  into  it,  but  they  some 
years  since  became  extinct.  On  the  south- 
western part  of  the  river,  and  at  the  up;)er 
end  of  ^- Long-jSands-Bay,'*  is  York  '•  Nub- 
ble,"*  which  is  nothing  more  than  a  small- 
sized  hillock.  This  Nubbb,  upon  vvhich 
many  a  vessel  has  become  a  wreck,  is  the 
nehrest  land  lo  Coon  Island,  which  is  about 
seven  miles  distant. 

Agamenticus  and  its  iannediate  neighbor- 
hood were  forme  ly  inhabited  by  a  singular 
people,  whose  names,  Fitzgerald,  Ramsdell, 
etc.,     wculd    imply    descent     from     Scotch 


26        Ancient  City  of  Gorrjeana, 

ancestry.  They  brought  to  tli'^  village  bark, 
berries,  wood,  cc.,  whicli  they  exchanged 
for  groceries,  sak-Ti^h,  corn,  and  rum  ;  and 
on  muster  or  tniinin;!;  da.s,  some  of  them 
rarely  g.^t  hom:^  wa'.'A  ihe  next  day.  Their 
st, le  of  language  \va:i  very  j^eerdiar,  ap]^ear- 
ing  to  be  neither  .Scjtj'.i  n.n-  Yankee,  but 
a  cross  between.  After  Cape  Ncddock 
began  to  divert  trad 3  from  Yorli  village, 
less  and  less  was  seen  of  these  people. 
Thr.t  region  is  becoming  depo^)ulated,  as 
the  f  rest  there  ha:;  diiui^jpeared  before  the 
vandal  axe. 

In  vicv/  of  what  this  town  is  at  present, 
and  what  it  oughl:  to  h.ave  been,  the  follow- 
ing, from  the  pen  of  the  Hon.  Nathaniel  G. 
iJarshall,  m:;y  be  ap,propriatc  and  intsr- 
csting  : 

''  'ihe  whole  Province* i.ow  called  the  State 
of  Maine  v.us  grrnted,  prior  to  1GP»9,  by- 
King  Charles  I.  to  LVrdinando  Gorges,  who 


MoiJerii  Totrn  of  York.  27 

sent  liis  iic]'.  hew,  'J'homas  Gorges,  here  to 
select  a  site  for  flic  ecu/re  of  Iris  opcrcdions. 
He  selected  t'.iis  place,  and  was  so  pleased 
with  the  locality  as  to  bestow  upon  ns  the 
honor  of  beinp;  denizens  of  the  first  EiKjlish 
C it  1/  on  the  Aiiiericaii  Continent.'"'  Of  this 
we  should  be  and  arc  jiroud,  although  clothed 
now  in  a  garb  of  the  lowest  humility.  We 
were  sold  out  to  a  rival  company,  as  it  were, 
for  '  thirty  pieces  of  silver,'  and  crucified  on 
the  altar  of  the  ambiiion  of  the  ^Massachusetts 
Bay  Company  ;  and,  after  enj£)ying  our  city 
charter  for  a  brief  period,  became  a  town  in 
1G53.     For  a  while  we  continued  a  town  of 

*  Great  discrepancies  exist  in  both  Gazetteers 
and  Histories  re.i,^;ir(ling  d;itcs.  It  is  claimed  for 
St.  Au;^Mistine,  FioriJa,  to  be  "  tlie  oldest  city  [?] 
in  tlic  United  States,  ])a\  ing  been  settled  by  the 
Spaniards  fjrty-threc  years  earher  [15G5]  tlian 
Jamestown,  Viryinii,  by  the  English."  And 
for  the  latter  phice  :  '•  This  is  the  oldest  English 
settlement  in  the  United  States,  having  been  made 
in  1G03." 


2S        Ancient  City  of  Goryeana, 

miicii  note,  this  [)l;icc  being  the  scat  of  jus- 
tice fjr  the  wh  ,lo  Province  of  Maine  for  a  long 
period.  V>\\t  we  commenced  to  dwindle  by 
degrees,  until  now  wc  arc  c  )mparatiYely 
isol  ited  from  the  rest  of  mankind.  Our 
young  men  who  possess  a  little  ambition  go 
from  among  ns  ;  and,  for  want  of  facilities  to 
visit  the  place  of  their  birth,  stay  away. 
Occasionally,  a  few,  attracted  by  old  associa- 
tions, stray  towards  tlieir  natal  pi. ice,  feel  a 
kind  of  sorrowful  interest  for  it,  and  arc  anx- 
ious to  learn  the  sttite  of  affairs  existing  at 
the  time.  To  su"h  an  extent  have  we  fallen 
in  our  own  and  the  estimation  of  other 
neighboring  places,  that  we  hardly  have  a 
heart  to  relate  our  sorrowful  condition. 

"  Ila  I  the  Eastern  Railroad  from  Ports- 
moutli  to  Portla^id  built  about  1841)  been 
constructed  upon  its  original  location,  instead 
of  making  a  detour  into  the  interior  a  dis- 
tance of  eight  or  nine  miles  from  a  straight 
and    feasible    line,    it    would    have    passed 


Mode i') I  Tor.i  of  York.  29 

tliry»i.i,^h  this  town  near  the  village,  and  short>- 
cned  the  distance  over  five  miles.  At  t'lat 
time  the  majority  of  the  people  of  the  town 
had  a  horror  cf  railroads,  and  used  every  ex- 
ertion to  prevent  a  location  even  within  their 
limiis.  positively  declaring  that,  if  built,  it 
would  '■poison  the  land  for  a  mile  on  each 
s'de  of  it!'  and  render  all  the  rest  of  the 
property  in  town  qnitc  valueless ;  conse- 
quently this  company  were  actually  com- 
pelled to  obtain  a  new  location  and  amend- 
ir.ent  of  charter.  The  exultations  of  the 
'leading  great  men"  on  that  occasion  are 
we'l  remembered,  v. hen  the  represent  tives 
returned  from  the  Legislature  exclaiming : 
'  ice  have  dricen  the  in  into  the  iroods  !' 

"  Because  of  the  si'is  of  th-^se  fathers  the 
town  now  greatly  suffers,  for  it  has  advan- 
tages which  facility  of  access  by  railroad 
would  dcvelope  ;  ;;nd  there  is  capital  hoarded 
in  savings  banks  sufficient,  had  it  railroad 
facilities,  to  build  up  enterprises  and  make  it 


uO        Ane'en/  Ci'j  of  Gorjcana. 

ono  of  the  most  t!irivin_L;  places  in  the  State. 
Tho  natural  l)Citioi  of  t'.ic  pLico,  and 
especially  its  vic'nily  to  tho  seashore,  and 
the  cxer'iions  and  extensive  outlays  of  some 
of  its  citizens  to  make  it  a  summer  resort 
and  wa!erini]^-placc,  arc  appreciated  by  the 
yearly  increasing  influx  of  visitors  ;  and  had 
there  been  a  railroad  in  the  right  place, 
enterprise  would  have  done  the  rest,  and 
York  would  have  become  what  it  desires  to 
l)c;  and  have  had  a  name  and  standing  with 
its  fellow  towns." 

SETTLEMENT    OF    YOEK. 

This  town  was  formed  from  a  portion  of 
fh'd  t'crritot-y  granted  by  the  Plymouth  Coun- 
cil, in  1G22,  to  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  and 
Captain  John  Mason,  who  spent  upwards 
of  twenty  thousand  pounds  in  attempting 
to  effect  settlements  in  Maine.  In  1629, 
they    divided   their  interest;    Mason  taking 


Modern  Toivn  of  York,  31 

that  part  of  tlic  grant  west  of  the  Piscataqua 
river,  and  Gorges  the  eastern  portion.  In 
IGtiO,  the  I'lymoiith  Council  resigned  this 
patent  and  took  a  new  one,  which  they 
divided  into  twelve  portions.  The  third  and 
fourth  portions  comprised  the  territory  be- 
tween the  Kennebec  and  Piscataqua  rivers, 
sixty  miles  wide,  and  extending  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  north  from  the  sea-coast, 
which  was  granted  to  Gorges.  Charles  I. 
revoked  the  charter  to  the  Council,  and 
granted  tlie  same  territory  to  Gorges, 
April  3,  1G39. 

Sir  Fcrdinando  Gorges,  standing  high  in 
royal  favor,  had  almost  absolute  powers 
granted  him  in  his  ch  ;rter  from  the  king. 
Pic  W..S  ambitious  to  found  a  state  that 
would  rival  Massachusetts  :  and  bein<» 
pleased  with  a  description  of  the  }\lacc, 
which  he  had  previously  obtained,  he 
selected  Agamenticus,  as  the  first  settle- 
ment was  here  named,  for  the  seat  of  his 
government. 


32        Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

The  officers  whom  Gorges  appointed  by 
his  conimission  of  INIarch  10,  1639,  were 
William  Gorges,'^  T'dwarcl  (jiodfrcy,  William 
Hook,  of  Accomcnticus ;  Richard  Vines,  of 
Saco  ;  Henry  Jossylyn,  of  Black  Point,  now 
in  Scarboro' ;  Francis  Champernoon,  of  Pis- 
cataqua,  now  Kittery ;  Richard  Benython,f 

*  The  dwelling-liouse  in  wliich  Captain  Wdliani 
Gorges  hved  was  situated  on  the  north-easterly 
bank  of  York  River,  a  few  ro  Is  above  Rice's 
Bridge.  The  cellar  cnn  still  be  seen.  Not  many 
years  since,  a  spoon  of  peculiar  shape,  resembling 
a  small  ladle,  was  ploughed  ui)  from  the  bottom 
of  tliis  cellar.  Its  exact  duplicate  was  found  at 
Pomaquid,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec  River, 
the  site  of  a  settlement  in  IGOS,  under  the  auspices 
of  Sir  George  Popham,  which  shows  a  connection 
between  the  tv/o  localities. 

t  Richard  Benython,  Gent,  (sometimes  spelled 
Bonython),  one  of  the  most  efSctient  and  able 
magistrates,  had  a  son  John,  who  proved  to  be 
a  degenerate  plant.  In  1G05,  we  find,  by  the 
Court  Records,  that,  for  some  offence,  he  was 
fined  forty  shilUngs.     In  1G40,  he  was  fined  for 


Modern   Town  of  YorL\  33 

of  Saco,  wlio  was  his  nephew.  These  men 
were  councillors  for  the  die  execution  of  the 
government,  according  to  an  ordinance  an- 
nexed to  the  authority  delegated  in  the  com- 
mission. He  intrusted  the  immediate  man- 
agement of  it  to  Captain  Wi'liam  Gorges,  a 
young  gentleman  of  rank  and  ambition,  and 
to  Colonel  Francis  Norton,  who,  having  by 
his  own  merits  risen  from  a  common  soldier 
to  a  lieutenant-coloael,  was  desirous-  to 
advance  his  fame  and  fortune.  Tliese  two 
had  the  charge  of  the  first  attempt  to  settle, 
and  had  a  grant  of  twenty-four  thousand 
acres  of  1  nd  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  By 
some  it  is  thought  to  have  been  of  short 
duration. 

Ferdinando    Gorges    was  born  at  Ashton 

ibuse  toward  Kiehard  Gibson,  the  minister,  and 
Mary  liis  wife.  Soon  after,  he  Avas  fined  for  dis- 
orderly conduct  in  the  house  of  his  father.  Tn 
IC-tu,  the  -'Great  and  General  Court"  adjudged 
"John  Benvilion  outlawed,  and  incapable  of  any 
of  his  Majesty's  laws,  and  pro(  lainied  him  a  rel)el." 


34        Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

Phillips,  in  the  year  1573,  of  an  ancient  but 
not  opulent  family.  He  was  devoted  to  the 
episcopacy,  and  wished  to  promulgate  this 
\vith  all  those  under  his  government,  or 
within  his  control.  This  did  not  suit  the 
views  of  a  majority  of  the  liberal-minded 
colonists.  Being  thus  divided  in  sentiment, 
they  soon  became  unfriendly  to  each  other  ; 
and  the  popular  principles  held  by  Massa- 
chiisetts  were  too  inviting  to  allow  them  to 
resist  the  opportunity  to  emigrate  there. 
Gorges,  who  had  been  an  officer  in  the 
British  navy,  and  governor  of  Plymouth  in 
England,  was  urged  by  the  poverty  of 
his  situation,  as  compared  with  others  of  his 
rank,  to  undertake  some  adventure  that 
might  increase  his  rent-roll  in  order  to  swell 
his  coffers.  His  expectations  were  very 
great  from  this  American  enterprise ;  but,  as 
will  be  seen,  his  hopes  were  .not  realized. 
He  sowed  the  \^ind  and   reaped  the  whirl- 


Modevn   Toicti  of  YorJc 


V 


wind,  and  he  finally  complained  of  having 
obtained  for  his  toil  only  vexation  and  dis- 
appointment. 

When  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  was  sixty 
years  of  age,  he  was  given  a  commission  of 
Governor  General  over  the  whole  of  Xew 
England.  A  man  of  war  was  in  prepara- 
tion to  bring  him  hither,  which  was  to 
remain  here  for  the  defence  of  the  country. 
But  in  launching  she  keeled  over  on  her  side 
and  was  broken,  the  enterprise  failed,  and  Sir 
Ferdinando  never  saw  ximerica.  The  death 
of  Capt.  John  Mason  was  chronicled  soon 
after. 

Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  was  a  very  ambi- 
tious and  a  very  unfortunate  man  in  his  enter- 
prises. His  aim  was  to  accumulate  a  fortune, 
achieve  a  character,  and  establish  himself  as 
a  ruler  of  as  large  a  tract  cf  territory  and 
over  as  many  pco;de  as  possible.  In  order 
to  perpetuate   his  reputation  as  lord  proprie- 


36        Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana* 

tor,  he  gave  to  the  ])lantcitions  of  York  the 
name  of  Gorcjeana.  The  earliest  grpnt  of 
lands  in  York  is  by  a  deed  from  Sir  Ferdi- 
nando  to  his  nephew,-"'  Thomas  Gorges,  of 
five  thousand  acres  of  land  on  the  York 
river  (then  called  Organug),  and  the  lands 
embraced  within  the  limits  then  termed  Aga- 
menticus.  This  deed  was  granted  in  the 
seventeenth  year  (1641)  of  the  reign  of 
Charles  L,  and  by  his  sanction ;  and  seizin 
and  possession  was  given  in  1642.  From 
the  year  1642  to  1653,  the  grant  of  lands  ia 
York  by  the  agents  of  Sir  Ferdinando  were 
very  frequent  and  numerous. 

The  home  government,  jealously  thinking 
his  progress  and  power  in  advance  of  their 
ideas,  and   not   calculated    to  benefit  them, 

*  Williamson  styles  Thomas  Gorges  both  grand- 
son and  nepht'w  of  Sir  Ferdinando,  and  Sullivan 
terms  him  nephew.  In  Sir  Ferdinando's  charter, 
or  grant,  he  calls  him  his  "  eoscn." 


Modem  Town  of  York. 


undertook  to  check  him  by  accusmg  him  of 
converting  to  his  own  uses  that  which  should 
be  made  to  enhance  their  interests,  if  not  to 
swell  tlieir  o.vn  co.Ters.  Ilis  defence  was 
able,  but  was  not  considered  satisfactory,  \  iz.  : 
that  he  had  never  transcended  their  rights, 
and  no  monopoly  had  been  engaged  in  or 
enjoyed  to  the  d'jtri:uent  of  the  colony  or 
home  government. 

Sir  Ferdinando,  through  his  agents  sent  to 
America,  being  zealous  to  establish  his  name 
and  power  as  loid  proprietor,  and  alsj  to 
further  the  other  objects  of  his  inciting, 
undertook  more  than  could  b  ■  accomplished 
in  the  ordinary  ii  ctirnc  of  any  mortal,  even 
under  the  most  favorable  auspices.  The 
Isles  of  Shoals  were  also  included  in  his 
dommioiis. 

-  -A*conr:aiiy  cf  cmigi-ants  v.hich  were  first 
sent  out  -by  him  consisted  of  artificers  and 
laborers,  and  as  he  had  learned  the  wantr>  of 
settlers  in  a  new  country,  they  were  provided 
with  implcmc-its,  machinery,  oxen,  ^q.,  with 


^8        Aiicioit  Cl-y  of  Gorfjeand. 

which  to  clear  away  the  forests,  build  shij)s, 
manufacture  hirnbcr,  and  cultivate  the 
ground.  A  scttlcniont  was  accordingly  com- 
menced on  the  eastern  side  of  the  river,  near 
the  sea,  south  of  the  present  mill-site  and 
pond  ;  and  afterwards  no  other  plantation  of 
Gorges'  so  constantly  and  so  fully  received 
his  patronage  and  favor. 


FOUNDATION    OF    THE     CITY    OF     GOEGEAXA. 

King  CiiAr.LES  I.,  in  the  patent  granted 
to  Fcrdinando  Gorges,  prior  to  the  year  1639, 
cjidoweJ  him  with  more  power  than  had  ever 
been  conceded  by  a  sovereign  to  a  subject. 
He  enjoined  in  particular  the  establishment 
of  the  Episcopal  religion. 

Sir  FerdinLUKlo  Gorges,  meeting  with  dis- 
ap})oinlment  and  much  opposition  in  the 
general  system  of  American  affairs,  deter- 
mined to  plant  a  small  colony  at  his  own 
expense.  He  had  been  previously  informed 
of  a  short  salt-water  river,  admitting  vessels 


3Iodeni  Town  of  Tork,  SO 

to  a  safe  harbor  and  good  anchorage,  at  and 
above  its  mouth,  called  Arjamenticus  (York) ; 
its  situation  being  nearly  equidistant  from  a 
mountain  of  that  name  and  the  river  Piscat- 
aqua. 

An  extract  from  Gov.  Winthrop's  journal 
contains  Ui'  following:  "In  the  summer  of 
1640,  Thomas  Gorges  arrived,  accompanied 
by  the  Lord  Proprietor  as  his  deputy  gover- 
nor of  the  Province.  His  instructions  were, 
to  consrdt  and  counsel  with  the  magistrates 
of  Massachusetts  as  to  the  general  course  of 
administration  most  exoedient  to  bepiu'sucd; 
and  such  were  his  own  resolutions,  that  he 
determined  to  discharge  the  duties  of  his 
office  with  fidelity  and  promptitude."' 

x\t  Agamcnticus  he  found  affairs,  both 
private  and  public,  in  lamentable  disorder. 
The  lord  proprietor's  buildings,  which  had 
ccst  him  such  larg'3  sums  of  money,  were  in  a 
state  of  great  dilapidation  ;  his  own  mansion 
was  hardly  habitable,  and  was  stripped  -of 
everything,  as  expressed  by  one  of  his  suite, 


40         Ancient  Clfu  of  Gorfjeauft, 

flestltutc  of  furniture,  refreshments,  rum, 
candles,  or  milk  ;  hi:s  personal  property  was 
squandered  ;  nothin^i;  of  his  household  stuff 
rcmaininjT  but  an  old  pot,  a  pair  of  tongs, 
and  a  cou])le  of  andirons. 

Gorges,  elevated  by  a  partial  success,  and 
actuated  by  those  generous  designs,  deter- 
mined to  erect  tlic  borough  and  land  adja- 
cent into  a  "•  city  ;"  and  accordingly  executed 
another  and  more  perfect  charter,  dated 
March  1,  lG-13,  by  which  he  incoi-porated  a 
territory  of  twenty-one  square  miles  and  the 
inhabitants  upon  it  into  a  body  politic,  which 
he,  evidently  in  compliment  to  his  own 
name,  called  "  Goegi::ana."  The  whole  lay 
in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  with  the  York 
river  for  its  south-westerly  boundary,  extend- 
ing up  seven  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  three 
miles  upon  the  sea- shore.  Its  limits  were 
three  miles  eacli  way,  radiating  from  the 
"Church  Chapel   or    Oratory"  of  the  plan- 


Modern   Town  of  York.  41 

tation,  and  situated  on  the  east  of  York 
river. 

The  iiihab-tants  had  the  power  to  elect  a 
mayor  and  eight  aldermen,  annually,  hold 
estate  to  any  amount,  and  do  many  other 
things ;  and,  furthermore,  were  authorized 
to  hold  courts,  erect  fortifications,  and  govern 
themselves  as  any  other  body  politic.  But 
no  particular  obedience  was  paid  to  Gorges' 
authority,  and  the  inhabitants  governed 
themselves,  as  did  the  patriarchs  of  old  :  by 
associations.  In  fact,  they  viewed  his  as- 
sumed power  as  a  very  weak  kind  of  aris- 
tocracy, likely  to  be  of  short  duration. 

This  was  che  first  grant  of  incorporation 
for  a  city  in  America,  viz. :  an  English  city 
charter,  dated  in  1640.  Thomas  Gorges  was 
mayor,  with  the  following  list  of  aldermen : 
Edward  Godfrey,  Roger  Garde.  George  Pud- 
dington,  Bartholomew  Barnctt,  Edward  John- 
Bon,  Arthur  Trajdon,  Henry  Simpson,  John 


42        Ancient  City  of  Cloryeana, 

Rogers.  Mr.  Garde  was  also  appointed  re- 
corder. Descendants  of  some  of  this  board 
are  still  residents  of  the  town. 

"  The  police  consisted  of  a  mayor,  twelve  ^ 
aldermen,  twenty-four  common  coimcilmcn, 
and  a  recorder,  annually  elected  in  March,  by  • 
the  citizens  and  freeholders.  The  mayor  and 
aldermen  were  ex-officio  justices,  and  had 
the  appointment  of  four  sergeants,  whose 
badge  was  a  ^i^hitf,  rod,  and  whose  duty  it 
was  to  serve  all  judicial  precepts." 

In  IG  14,  a  woman  v.as  iricd  in  the  mayor's 
court  for  ihc  murder  of  licr  !:u,-sb;;nd,  and  con- 
demned and  excculed.  The  o^'iccrs  of  the 
province,  by  invitation  of  the  ma)  or,  assisted 
at  the  trii^.l. 

"  The  form  of  public  worship  was  to  be 
rpiscfjpalian.  Tliomas  Gorj^^cs  returned  to 
iLujiand  in  KM  J,  and  P.ogcr  Garde  became 
mayor  in  his  stead. 

"  While   Sir   Ferdinando's   provin(^e   was 


Modern  Town  of  Tork.  i'o 


deeply  inv()l\cd  in  dimciilties,  he  died  in 
England,  in  1  T)  17,  a;^ed  seventy-four  years  — 
about  two  years  before  the  execution  of 
Charles  L,  his  royal  ma  .ter,  \vho  was  be- 
headed January  ;]0,  1049.  .Seldom  is  a  sub- 
ject more  firmly  attached  to  his  monarch! 
On  hearin^i^  of  the  proprietor's  death,  and 
being  left  to  them.^elves,  a  convention  was 
called  by  the  people  of  Gorgcana,  and  after 
discussing  their  rights,  duties,  and  difficul- 
ties, the  inhabitants  of  Gorgeana,  Kittery, 
AY  ells,  and  the  Isles  of  Shoals  formed  them- 
selves into  a  confederacy  for  mutual  protec- 
tion and  the  just  administration  of  govern- 
ment." ^^' 

*  An  okl  account,  co])ie:1  from  a  MS.  letter  of 
Hon.  M.  Dennett,  reads  tlius  :  "Kitteri/ Is  tlie  first 
and  oldest  town  in  the  state — Gorgeana  being  a 
city  corporate,  not  a  town.  Tlie  Navy  Yard, 
Badger's,  Trefetlien's,  Clark's,  Cutts's,  and  Ger- 
rish's  Islands  belong  to  Kittery.  The  town 
records   begin   ]March    Id,  1G48.     The  town  was 


44        Ancient  City  of  Govfjeana, 

In  the  courts  held  under  Gorges,  there  was 
no  division  of  ihe  judicial,  executive,  or  legis- 
hitive  powers,  but  the  general  courts  made 
laws  and  tried  cases,  and  by  their  own  mem- 
bers caused  their  sentences  to  be  executed. 
Tiie  same  method  prevailed  when  his  govern- 
ment had  lost  its  power,  and  the  people  had 
entered  into  associations  for  civil  purposes. 
Their  records  were  filled  with  cases  which  at 
this  day  would  be  considered  in  the  light  of 
literary  cn.rioslacs  :  —  Ki.:guL:i-  l.r.vs,  Avliimsi- 
caliy  iirrang.^d  in  the  boo'-s.  For  instance  : 
in  t'^e  same  ijaragranli,  pcrlr'ps,  will  be  f.nind 
a  law  for  the  enc  -urageniont  of  killing  wolves, 
and  ano'lier  for  the  ba)tis:n  of  children. 
(  ivll  actions  an  1  criminal  we  o  alike  decided 
by  tlie  Generrd  Court,  and  i.ll  this  in  a  style 
and   manner   th;it   could    iiavd'y  fail  to  excite 

divided;  Berwick  was  incorporated  June  9,  1713, 
and  Eliot,  March  1,  1810.  The  town  produces 
annually  one  tliousand  barrels  of  cid'U',  but  no 
wheat." 


3/o  7^';-iA  Toirn  of  VorJc.  45 

ridicule  rather  than  command  respect,  such 
was  the  mode  in  which  they  were  mixed  to- 
gether. The  followin<^  is  a  specimen  of  them  : 
"  Nov.  22,  1652. —  The  com.missioners  held 
their  court  and  the  inhabitants  appeared,  and 
after  some  tyme  spent  in  debatements,  and 
many  quesions  answered,  and  objections  re- 
moved, with  full  and  joint  consent,  acknowl- 
edged themselves  subject  to  the  government 
of  the  Massachusetts  in  New  England ;  only 
Mr.  Godfrey  did  forbeare,  until!  the  voate 
was  past  by  the  rest,  and  then  immediately 
he  did  by  word  and  voate  express  his  consent. 
^Ir.  Nicholas  Davis  was  chosen  and  sworne 
constable.  ^Mr.  Edward  Risliworth  was 
chosen  recorder,  and  desired  to  exercize  the 
place  of  clarke  of  the  writts.  Mr.  Henry 
Norton  was  chosen  marshall  there.  John 
Davis  was  licenced  to  keep  an  ordinary  and 
to  sell  wine  and  stronge  water,  and  for  one 
yere  he  is  to  pay  but  twenty  shillings  the 
butt.      Phillip    Babb    of    Hogg    Hand    was 


4G       Ancient  Cltt/  of  Gorgeana. 

appointed  constable  for  all  the  Hands  of 
Sboalcs,  Starre  Hand  excepteJ." 

In  1G52,  Massachusetts  assumed  control 
of  this  colony  ;  the  city  charter  was  revoked, 
the  name  changed  to  York,  and  an  incor- 
poration as  a  town  granted,  with  limits 
enlarged,  probably,  nearly  to  those  now 
existing. 

In  1834  a  small  part  of  York  was  added  to 
South  Berwick,  since  Avhich  there  have  been 
no  changes  in  boundary. 


CArX.   JOHN    SMITH. 

This  celebrated  man  has  so  much  connec- 
tion with  tJiis  histv)ry  as  to  deserve  some  par- 
ticular notice.  He  was  born  in  Willoughby, 
England,  A.  1).  loTO.  In  1.39G,  when  he 
Avas  seventeen  ye  rs  of  ago,  lie  ir.ade  the  tour 
of  Europe ;  killed  three  Moslem  champions 
in  single  combat,  was  lionored  with  a  tri- 
umphal procession,   and  was  for  some  time 


Modern  Town  of  York. 


held  a  prisoner  in  Turkey.  During  his  sub- 
sccjuent  remarkable  adventures  in  this  coun- 
try, his  life  was  saved  by  the  celebrated 
Indian  princess.  Pocahontas.  He  died  in 
London,  A.  D.  1631,  aged  fifty-two  years, 
lie  was  bold  and  magnanimous  in  disposi- 
tion, and  in  talents,  integrity,  and  persever- 
ance, by  no  means  inferior  to  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges  himself.  Though  at  the  time  of  our 
narrative  only  about  thirty-five  years  of  age, 
he  had  been  a  great  traveller,  was  a  very 
conspicuous  adventurer  in  Virginia,  and  in 
1608  was  made  prisoner  by  the  Colonial 
Council.  So  far  had  his  virtues  and  adven- 
turous spirit  given  his  name  celebrity  among 
his  countrymen,  especially  the  English  mer- 
chants trading  in  America,  that,  on  his 
leaving  America,  they  readily  took  him  into 
their  own  service,  for  the  triple  purposes  of 
discovery,  settlement,  and  traffic. 

With  an  outfit  of  two  vessels,  a  ship  and 
bark,     carrying    forty-five    men,    he    sailed 


48         Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

from  London,  March  8,  1614,  having  instrnc- 
tions  from  the  government  to  remain  in  the 
northern  country  and  found  a  colonial  settle- 
ment, or  at  least  keep  possession. 

This  was  characteristic  of  orders  given  by 
King  James  I.  to  all  expeditions  sent  out, 
viz.,  "  to  hinder  any  foreigner  from  settling 
there  upon  any  pretence  whatever."  Smith 
shaped  his  course  for  the  Sagadahcck  river, 
and  says:  "  I  was  to  have  staid  therQ,with 
only  sixteen  men."  He  arrived  at  Monhegan 
the  last  of  April,  and  immediately  entered 
upon  the  business  of  his  v  yage,  by  taking 
possession,  at  the  mouth  of  Sagadahock  river, 
of  all  the  neighboring  land  and  water.  He 
constructed  seven  b  )ats,  in  some  of  which 
himself  and  eight  men  explored  the  coast, 
east  and  west,  to  Penobscot  river  and  Cape 
Cod,  trading  with  the  natives  for  beaver  and 
other  furs,  and  making  observations  on  the 
capes,  harbors,  islands,  i-ivers,  and  shores. 
His  men  employed  themselves,  also,  in  taking 


3Iodern  Town  of  York,  40 

whales  found  in  tliese  waters,  by  pursuing 
which  tlicy  lost  the  best  port  of  tlic  fishing 
season  ;  !ior  were  they,  when  caught,  of 
the  kind  expected,  '"  which  yields  furs  and 
oil."  Still  more  futile  was  the  visionary 
story  reported  al;out  gold  and  copper  mines 
abounding  on  this  coast,  it  being  ascer- 
tained, on  inquiry,  to  be  a  baseless  fabric  of 
fiction. 

Nevertheless,  the  fruits  of  this  voyage 
were  of  great  value  and  variety.  The  party 
obtained,  in  exchange  for  mere  trifles,  six- 
teen thousand  beaver,  one  hundred  martin, 
and  as  many  otter  skins  ;  they  also  took  and 
cured  fort}-  thousand  dry  fish  and  seven  thou- 
sand cod-fish,  corned  or  in  pickle.  The  net 
value  realized  by  those  interested  was  about 
one  thousand  pounds  sterling  (85,000). 
From  the  same  vicinity  that  year  (1614) 
twenty-five  thousand  skins  were  sent  to 
France.  Further  eastward  European  com- 
modities were  not  so  much  esteemed  bv  the 


Ancient  City  of  Govgeana, 

natives,  because  the  French  traders  bartered 
then'  articles  on  better  terms. 

Captain  Smith,  on  exploring  the  borders 
of  the  coast  between  Cape  Cod  and  the 
Penobscot  river,  says  he  saw  upon  the  land 
''  forty  several  habitations,"  or  "  Indian  vil- 
lages," and  enumerates  twelve  different  tribes 
by  name,  residing  east  of  the  Piscataqua. 
One  of  the  most  numerous  S-cmed  to  be  the 
Medoc  or  Mugg  tribe,  supposed  to  be  the 
ancestors  of  those  troublesome  savages  now 
located  in  and  around  the  "  Lava  Beds"  of 
California.  Smith  mentions  the  fact  that 
these  Indians  did  no:;  differ  in  liishion,  gov- 
ernment, or  language,  on  the  coasts  of 
Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and  as  far  south  as 
Naumkeag  (Salem,  JNIassachusetts)  ;  but  from 
the  latter  place  to  Cape  Cod,  he  found  ihey 
differed  somewhat  in  condition,  custom, 
and  language.  He  had  onl}-  one  skirmish 
with  them,  and  in  this  some  of  the  Indians 
were  killed.     Smith  sailed  for  England  July 


Modern  Town  of  Yorh 


6,  1615,  while  his  companion,  Capt.  Thomas 
Hunt,  purposely  tamed  behind  to  monopo- 
lize the  trade  and  steal  savages.  When  he 
aflcrwar.is  sailed  from  Plymouth  for  Spain, 
he  .seized  twenty-four  Indians,  carried  them 
to  Malap^a,  and  sold  them  to  the  Spaniards 
for  one  hundred  dollars  apiece.  Some  of 
the.5e  captives  were  named  Sq^ianto  or  Tis~ 
(juautnin,  JVanope  or  M'anaicet,  and  Samoset, 
the  latter  of  whom  said,  in  1G21,  after  his 
return,  he  was  a  Sagamore  ab:ut  ]\Ionhegan. 
At  Gibraltar,  the  convent  friars  took  tliose 
that  were  unsold  for  the  purpose  of  christian- 
izing them. 

About  the  time  Captain  Smith  was  sur- 
veying the  New  Eiigland  coast,  a  most 
destructive  war  "broke  out  anions  the  savage 
tribes,  which  continued  two  or  three  years. 
Gorges  despatched  an  expedition  ir:  the  sum- 
mer of  this  year  to  Sagadahock,  with  the 
artful  Indian  Epcnoiv,  and  other  natives,  for 
the  purpose  of  learning  m  re  of  the  reported 


Ancient  Cltij  of  Gorgeana, 


gold  mines,  and  of  addhig  new  facts  to  his 
stock  of  knowLdge.  Epenow  escaped  by 
jnm]nng  overboard  not  far  from  ]\Iartha"s 
Mncyard,  and  with  liini  vauislicd  the 
Englisliman's  glittering  visions  of  gold. 
Then  came  fnninc,  pestilence,  and  war,  fol- 
lowing each  other  in  rapid  succession,  and 
tTic  mortality  was  the  greatest  linown  there 
since  the  settlement  of  the  country. 

It  was  a  prevailing  sin  of  these  early  times 
to  treat  the  aborigines  of  this  country  as  if 
they  were  designed  orily  to  gratify  the 
cupidity  and  ]}assions  of  their  civdized  con- 
temporaries, alt'jough  the  British  king  had 
given  instructions  to  every  expedition  sent 
out  by  himself,  in  1G22,  not  to  improperly 
interfere  vxith  the  trade  or  pursuits  of  the 
natives,  never  to  sell  them  firc-ar:ns,  nor  in 
any  instance  to  intermeddle  with  tlie  woods 
or  freeholds  of  the  planters  wit-iout  license 
from  the  Plymo  :th  Council  or  crown.  He 
altio  ihrcatened  the  wrong  doers  with  confis- 


Modern  Town  of  TorJc.  53 

cation  ;  but  they  took  little  heed  of  cither  IjIs 
menace  or  commands.  ■ 

THE    m'iXTIRES  ECCLESIASTICAL. 

In  Sullivan's  History  of  Maine,  is  the  fol- 
lowing narration  of  Judge  Sayward  :  "  In  the 
time  of  the  civil  war  in  1G41,  between  King 
Charles  I.  and  the  British  Parli-amcnt,  Oliver 
Cromwell  gained  a  victory  over  the  Scotch 
troops  which  had  assembled  and  fought  under 
the  royal  standard  in  the  north  of  England, 
and  sent  them  to  America.  Among  them 
were  the  Donalds  or  Donnells,  the  M'lntires,"^* 

*  All  the  ^rintircs  descended  from  one  ISIicum 
M'lntire,  who  emiijratcd  from  Scotland  in  tlie 
tune  of  Oliver  Cromwell.  Those  well  known 
in  York  were  :  Alexander  MIntire,  called  by  the 
title  oi"  '•  Squire,"  wlio  died  s^or.ie  twenty-five 
years  :;go;  liufiis.  a  meml)er  of  Congress,  and 
j\I:ijor  ^Yilllanl,  who  lived  in  Scotland  Parish,  and 
has  been  dead  al;out  fifteen  years.  He  left  two 
sons,  only  one  of  w'loiu  survives  ;  he  lives  in  York. 
Jcrendah   MJmire   was   also  a  prominent   man. 


54        A  net  cat  Cltu  of  Govgcana. 

the  ]\Iax\vells,  etc  ,  and  these  came  to 
Gorg-es's  government  because  he  was  a  royal- 
ist, and  settled  in  what  is  now  the  second 
parish  in  York,  from  which  circumstance  the 
phace  was  named  Scotland.  Kcv.  Joseph 
Moody,  son  of  the  Rev.  Father  ]Moody,  was 

He  was  at  first  a  Colonel,  then  a  General,  ami 
finally  a  Major-general  of  the  State  militia.  He 
belonged  to  anotlser  branch  of  the  family  of  the 
above-named ;  was  born  in  the  M'lntire  garrison 
house,  and  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Lunt,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  Lunt.  Esq.,  deceased.  He  bought, 
lived,  and  died  upon  the  sauie  spot  where  his  son 
Jeremiah  now  resides.  His  brother  John  now 
lives  on  the  homestead,  and  is  by  far  the  wealihi- 
cst  man  in  York.  Esquire  Alexander  M'fntire 
was  for  many  years  collector  of  the  customs  at 
the  port  of  York,  when  that  office  was  an  impor- 
tant one.  He  built  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Jereuiiah  Brooks,  Esq.,  somewhere  about  1812  or 
1813,  and  fir  a  while  lived  in  it.  At  that  time  it 
was  considered  a  noble  structure,  and  inferior  to 
none  in  this  town,  except  Judge  David  Scwall's. 
York  was,  and  still  is,  a  jjort  of  entry  for  vessels 
from  "tills  side  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope."  Mr. 
M'Jntire's     successor  was  Thomas    Savage,   fol- 


3Iod€rn  Totvn  of  Yorlc,  65 

the  first  minister.  His  immediate  successor 
was  Rev.  Samuel  Lang  ton,  who  continued 
with  this  society  for  many  years  afterwards." 
During  the  government  of  Gorges,  we  do 
not    find  that  they  ever    had  a  preacher    in 

lowed  by  Mark  Dennett,  Joseph  P.  Junkins,  Na- 
thaniel G.  Marshall,  Luther  Junkins.  Jeremiah  S- 
Putnam,  Edward  S.  Bragdon,  the  pi  esent  incum- 
bent. Sanmc-1  Lunt,  Esq..  kept  for  many  years 
the  store  now  occupied  by  Wilson  JL  Walker, 
who  is  also  postmaster.  Mr.  Lunt  was  actively 
engaged  in  the  business  of  the  town,  and  inter- 
ested in  the  coasting  and  fishing  trade.  He  was  a 
clerk  in  the  store  of  Ivlward  Emerson,  father  of 
Charles  O.  Emerson,  at  the  time  of  his  employer's 
decease  ;  subsequently  lie  married  a  sister  of  Isaac 
Lyman,  Esq  ,  a  lawyer  of  note,  who  was  also  a 
brother  to  Emerson's  wife,  —  both  being  children 
of  Doctor  Job  Lyman.  Mr.  Lunt  built  the  store 
above  named,  and  traded  there  until  his  decease. 
He  was  a  man  of  strict  honesty.  He  left  one 
son,  Samuel,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Israel  O. 
Smith.  Another  son,  Horace,  died  in  China;  a 
daugliter,  n:uued  Narcissa,  died  young.  Mrs. 
M'Intire  is  the  only  survivor,  —  Records  of  N.  G. 
Marshall. 


nc        Ancient  City  of  Govgeana. 

York.  In  1G60,  one  Burdct,  who  had  l)coii 
expelled  from  Exeter,  in  New  Ilampshnc, 
for  misdemeanors,  became  a  preacher  to 
those  who  chose  to  hear  him  ;  but  he  was 
punished  for  lewdness  by  the  civil  authority, 
and  soon  after  ceased  to  act  in  the  capacity 
of  a  public  teacher. 

CLEKICAL    IMBr.OGLIO ATTEMPT  TO    EEYO- 

LUTIONIZE    THE    SHOALS. 

About  the  year  1642  a  personal  contro- 
versy arose  between  two  clergymen,  which 
caused  great  popular  disturbance.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Langton,  of  Dover,  New  Hampshire, 
delivered  a  discourse  against  hirel-ngs,  which 
was  evidently  aimed  at  Rev.  Richard  Gibson, 
of  Maine,  and  gave  him  great  umbrage. 
The  latter  was  an  Episcopalian,  and  highly 
esteemed  as  a  Gospel  minister,  especially 
by  the  fishermen  at  the  Isles  of  Shoals, 
among    whom    he  had    been    for  some  time 


^lodcvn  Town  of  Yoric 


preaching.  He  rctoited  upon  Langton,  and 
likewise  accused  Massachusetts  of  usurpa- 
tion in  her  endeavors  to  rule  over  the  Isles 
of  Shoals.  In  this  state  of  irritation,  the 
Islanders  were  provoked  to  a  general  revolt 
against  the  authority  of  that  State,  \\\t\\  the 
idea  of  submission  to  Gorges's  government, 
several  of  the  cluster  being  his  by  charter. 
But  he  was  glad,  at  last,  to  e^;cape  the  indig- 
nation of  that  colony  by  making  a  humble 
acknowledgment,  and  perhaps  promising  that 
the  Islanders  should  be  urged  by  him  to 
return  to  their  allegiance.  The  controversy 
was  completely  quieted  by  his  submission. 

Pending  this  so-called  revolt,  an  attempt 
was  made  by  some  of  the  liberal  minded  to 
found  a  government  among  themselves,  as 
their  numbers  then  amounted  to  several 
hundreds.  "  A  constitution  was  drafted  and 
made  by  the  principal  leaders,  then  styled 
'  knowing  ones,'  and  after  being  amended, 
revised,  rewritten,  lengthened,  and  shortened, 


58        Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

was  submitted  to  a  committee  for  their  exam- 
ination and  opin'.on,  before  being  put  to  a 
direct  vote,  and  it  is  astonishing  with  wliat 
disfavor  it  was  received !  Some  said  it  was 
too  long,  others  said  it  was  too  sliort ;  one 
did  n't  like  it;  another  liked  the  old  [?]  one 
better ;  one  attempted  to  read  it  upside 
down,  and  declared  he  '  never,  in  all  my  born 
days,  ever  saw  such  a  rickctty,  crabbed  hand 
in  all  my  life;'  and  a  loud  speaker  showed 
his  utter  contempt  for  it  by  '  throwing  a  quid 
of  tobacco  in  the  veri/  face  and  eyes  of  it  ! 
In  fact^  it  went  back  to  the  makcro  in  such 
a  befouled,  crnmplxl,  dirty,  and  soiled  con- 
dition, that  it  was  not  fit  to  be  seen." 

Although  many  attempts  were  afterwards 
made  to  build  up  a  self-governed  confed- 
eracy on  this  and  other  bases,  they  did  not 
succeed,  and  all  of  thorn  died  natural  deaths. 


3Io(l€rn  Town  of  I'orJ:,  59 


WOMEN     TROHICITED,    AND     OliDERS     GIYEX 
TO    VAfATE    THE    SHOALS. 

A  curious  memorial  presented  to  the  Court 
in  the  year  1647,  in  accorJ.mce  with  a  law 
enacted  sonie  years  previous,  reflects  some 
light  upon  the  ideas  and  habits  of  those  early 
times :  "  The  liumblc  petition  of  Richard  Cutts 
and  John  Cutting,  sl^oweth,  that,  contrary  to 
•■'.n  order  or  act  of  court,  which  says,  '  No 
ivoman  shall  liv-i  o:i  the  Zilcs  of  SJioaJsy 
John  Reynolds  has  brought  his  wife  thither 
with  an  intention  to  live  here  and  abide. 
He  hath  also  brought  upon  Kog  Island  a 
gveat  stock  of  goats  and  s.vine,  which,  by 
destroying  much  fish,  do  great  damage  to 
your  i)ctitioner  and  others  ;  and  also  spoil 
the  spring  of  water  upon  that  Island,  render- 
ing it  unfit  for  any  manner  (>f  use  ;  v.hiv-h 
affor  Js  the  only  relief  and  supply  to  all  the 
rest  of  the  Islands.  Your  petitioners  there- 
fore pray  that  the  act  of  court  may  be  p;it  in 
execution  for  the  removal  of  all  women,  also 
the  goats  and   swine."     In  accordance  with 


GO       Ancient  City  of  Govgeana, 

this  request,  the  court  ordered  Reynolds  to 
remove  his  goats  and  swine  from  Ilog  Island 
within  twenty  days,  and  also  from  such  other 
Islands  as  are  inhabited  by  fishermen.  But 
as  to  the  "  removal  of  his  wife,"  it  is 
"  thought  fit  by  the  court,"  that  "  if  no  far- 
ther complaint  come  against  her,  she  may 
enjoy  the  compauj^  of  l^^r  husband.  The 
reason  for  this  prohibition  was  that  the  pub- 
lic morals  were  violated  by  the  fact  of  the 
women  being  "  owned  by  the  men  in  as  many 
shares  as  a  boat." 

During  the  Revolutionary  War,  the  gov- 
ernment ordered  the  Shoalcrs  to  vacate  the 
Islands.*'*'  They  found  new  homes  in  Kit- 
tcry,    Portsmouth,    Rye,    and   other    ^^laces. 

*  This  order  was  fully  carried  out,  not  only  by 
the  removal  of  the  people  with  their  goods  and 
chattels,  but,  ever  since,  \.\\q\y  x> enchant  for  carry- 
ing their  houses  with  them  has  prevailed;  for, 
among  ether  removals,  we  rend  in  the  Gosport 
Kecords,  "the  parsonage  house,  constructed  for 
the  Rev.  John  Tueke,  was  taken  down  by  his  son- 
in-law,  and  carried  away  to  Old  York,  in  17-SO." 


Modern  Toc'u  of  York,  (il 

Many  removed  to  York,  and  occupied  what 
was  then  known  as  '•  Stage  Neck,"  now 
owned  by  the  pioprictor  of  the  "  Marsliall 
House."  Some  tliirty  families  ox-upied  tlie 
Neck  at  one  time,  living  in  small  houses,  and 
cultivating  small  patches  of  land,  the  outlines 
of  which,  as  also  the  -fo  nidations  of  the 
houses,  and  t'le  old  cellars,  arc  now  plainly 
seen.  When  excavations  w^re  being  made 
by  Mr.  Mardiall  at  the  time  he  built  Ids  hotel, 
m;iny  articles  of  pottery  and  other  wares  were 
exhumed ;  and  in  digging  for  a  carriage  road, 
at  the  depth  of  two  or  three  feet,  a  spot  of 
what  appeared  to  be  black  earth  was  found, 
which,  on  examination,  proved  to  be  the  con- 
tents of  a  pigsty  or  pen,  the  manure  being 
perfectly  fresh,  and  the  odor  as  pungent  as 
if  deposited  there  the  year  before.  No  graves 
were  ever  discovered  on  the  Neck. 

HI N DERANGES    TO    PROGRESS. 

Anything  like  progTess  made,  withouf  first 
consulting  the  jealous  Charles  11.,  through  his 


(12         Ancient  City  of  Gorgeaua, 

numerous  ay;on';s  and  rulers,  Avas  looked 
upon  in  the  light  of  treason,  and  not  to  be 
tolerated,  cv  n  for  a  moment,  by  tliosc  wlio 
held  power,  or  second-hand  official  authori- 
zation, from  the  liomj  government.  "  This 
abridgment  (  f  freedom  resu.lted  as  an  almost 
cftectual  stumbling'-blocA  to  advancement, 
progress,  or  civilization  in  an  infant  colon  v. 
Tlie  crov.-n,  through  its  lord  proprietors,  kept 
the  peo})le  in  complete  submission. 

TiiosL^  in  power  rode  rough  shod  over  their 
destinies,  and  the  possession  of  even  their 
very  existence.  The  restoration  of  the  royal 
government  in  Kngland  placed  the  supreme 
authority  in  the  hands  of  men  f'lr  less  favor- 
ably disposed  towards  New  England  than  the 
administration  un.der  the  protectorate  of 
Cromw(>ll.  Charles  II.,  dissolute  and  unprin- 
cipled, disliked  extremely  the  strict  religious 
principles  of  ir.ost  of  tlie  people  here.  Fur- 
ther, it  ap;: cared  he  even  resented,  as  an 
invasion  of  his  prerogative,  the  establishment 


Modern  Town  of  York.  63 

of  a  mint  in  Boston,  where  were  coined 
thre3-pences,  six-pences,  and  shillings.  He 
was  jeahjus  of  the  spirit  of  liberty  prevalent 
among  the  Xew  Englandjrs,  and  wished 
to  see  them  reduced  to  a  complete  depend- 
ence on  the  crown. 


YOTvIv    RKCOEDS. 

The  oldest  records  of  York  contain  little 
other  than  the  assi  niment  and  settlement  of 
tracts  of  land  to  citizens  and  others  wishing 
to  become  such.  We  extract  a  few  that 
embrace  the  greatest  variety. 

"1652.  —  At  a  town  meeting,  ordered, 
that  William  Hilton  have  use  of  ferry  ^''  for 
twenty-one  years  to  carry  strangers  over  for 

*  The  ovorland  route  from  the  wikls  of  Maine  to 
Massachusetts  was  close  to  the  ocean,  the  belter 
to  avoid  tlie  Indians,  and  also  to  be  among  the  set- 
tlers, fording  creeks  emptying  into  it,  and  directly 
across  Stage  Neck,  wliere  tlie  ^larshall  House 
stands,  thence  across  this  ferry  througli  Kittery. 


G4         Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

two  pence,  and  for  swimming  over  horses  or 
other  beasts  four  pence  ;  or  that  one  swum 
over  by  strangers  themselves,  he  or  his  scr- 
van's  being  ready  lo  attend;  and  one  penny 
for  every  town  man.  If  time  and  tides  be 
favorable,  he  is  to  pass  persjns  over  to  and 
from  Stage  Islan  1 ;  if  not,  to  provide  a  cano3 
to  lyo  rea.ly  on  his  own  side  to  transport 
people  without  danger." 

Mr.  Hilton  was  said  to  have  been  a  man 
of  mammoth  proportions,  weighing  about  two 
hundred  and  forty  pound.-;,  and  insensible  to 
fear  :  and  his  wife  was  in  all  respects  quali- 
fied to  be  a  companion  and  helpmeet  for  him, 
as  the  foil  iwing  fact  will  show.  At  times 
friendly  Indians  were  quite  numerous  in  this 
nc'ighbovhood,  and  they  frequently  called  in 
small  parties  at  the  houses  of  the  settlers  \o 
stay  all  night,  and  o.ten  to  have  a  "  drunk," 
as  they  termed  it.  Their  i)hice  of  crossing 
the  river  was  at  this  ferry,  and  the  canoes  of 
the  white  men  their  means  when  travelling 


Mnlerit  Toirn  of  York.  Go 

by  land.  Tlrjir  c.ill  was  the  warwhoop,  not 
sounded  in  hostility.  Many  times  has  Mrs. 
Hilton,  on  dark  and  stormy  nights,  on  hear- 
ing the  Indian  whoop,  gone  alone,  with  her 
firebrand  for  a  light,  and  taken  the  canoe 
over,  and  brought  the  savages  to  her  house. 
They  were  usually  friendly,  and  committed  no 
acts  of  aggression,  except  in  a  few  instances. 
They  took  rather  more  liberty  in  calling  at 
houses  from  which  the  men  were  absent,  and 
Dn  one  occasion  they  became  so  annoying, 
that  Mrs.  Hilton  drove  them  out  of  the 
house,  except  one  squaw  who  was  so  intoxi- 
cated that  she  appeared  unable  to  move,  and 
was  caught  by  the  hair  of  her  head  and 
thrust  out.  This  rough  handling  roused  the 
squaw  somewhat,  and  so  aided  her  power  of 
locomotion,  that  she  was  able  to  throw  her 
hatchet  just  as  Mrs.  Hikon  was  shutting  the 
door,  and  cut  off  the  wooden  thumb-piece  of 
the  latch  :  but,  on  recovering  her  senses  in 
the  morning,  and  recollecting  her  Improprie- 


66        Ancient  City  of  Gorgcffua. 

ties  of  the  night  bef  )re,  the  Indian  woman 
came  in,  confessed  h^'r  fault,  asked  pardon, 
promised  better  manners  in  future,  and  ever 
after  kept  her  word. 

"1701,  March  21.  —  Petitions  and  offer 
of  Capt.  John  Pickering,  to  erect  a  grist-mill, 
to  grindc  the  corne  of  the  town,  and  put  up 
a  dam,  and  take  timber  from  any  man's  land 
near  by.  Will  do  it  if  the  town  will  give 
him  the  monopoly  of  it ;  but  shall  have  to 
lay  out  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  ;  for  all 
the  toll  of  grinding  the  town's  corn  will  not 
pay  a  man  wages  this  seven  years.  Voted, 
to  grant  liini  the  permission  to  build,  take 
creek,  lumber,  stream,  trees,  etc.  The  mill 
to  be  built  where  Glengom  and  Gale  had 
theirs." 

That  this  grist-mill,  at  least,  was  a  rough 
affair,  compared  with  those  of  the  present 
day,  the  following  anecdote,  although  a  ludi- 
crous exaggeration,  will  serve  to  illustrate  : 
A   person   having   had    some  grain    ground 


3fof'(ern   ToH'ii  of  York.  G7 

tliere,  bis  wife,  as  he  said,  "  tried  to  sift  it 
Avith  a  ineal  sieve,  but  could  not,  i"  being  so 
coarse.  She  next  tried  a  ladder  for  a  sieve, 
with  no  better  succrss  ;  and  it  was  only  by 
taking  out  every  other  round  that  the  thing 
could  be  accomplished.*'  Still,  this  mill  was 
of  some  service  to  the  people,  for  previous  to 
its  erection  they  were  obliged  to  go  to  Dover 
or  Kittery,  and  this  journey  must  be  per- 
formed either  on  foot  or  on  horseback.  It  is 
related  of  another  person,  that,  having  bought 
a  bushel  of  corn,  about  ten  miles  distant,  he 
got  it  ground,  and,  taking  it  upon  his  back, 
started  for  home,  but,  being  overtaken  by 
niglit  and  darkness  when  he  had  reached  the 
suburbs  of  th  '  town,  he  lay  down  on  the 
ground  till  morning,  when,  again  resuming 
his  journey,  he  at  length  arrived  at  home. 

At  a  cnurt  holdcn  in  York,  December  2, 
1665,  Joane  Forde,  wife  of  Stephen  Forde, 
of  the  Isles  of  Shoals,  was  indicted  and  con- 
victed   for  "•  calling    the    constable  a    horn- 


C$        Ancient  Cily  of  Gorgcanct. 

headed  rogue  and  cowhcad  rogue  ;  "  and  she 
was  punished  for  this  offence  by  nine  stripes, 
given  her  at  the  post.  Soon  after,  this  same 
Joane  Forde  was  presented  for  abusing  and 
leviling  the  neighbors  by  very  evil  speeches, 
and  for  abusing  the  constable  and  others  of 
her  neighbors.  For  this  offence,  Joane  was 
sentenced  to  have  ten  lashes  at  the  post, 
which  was  accordingly  executed  by  John 
Parker,  in  the  presence  of  tlie  court. 

"  1720,  Aug.  31.  —  Voted,  at  town  meet- 
ing, to  garrison  the  house  buili  for  the  min- 
ister and  occupied  by  Rev.  Samuel  Moody, 
at  the  town's  charge  ;  and  that  Joseph  Say- 
ward  "^^  and   Benjamin  Stone  be  a  committee 

*  Elder  Jonathan  Sayward  built  and  owned  the 
dwelling-house  known  as  the  '•  Barrell  Mansi(;n," 
whicli  is  situated  on  the  hill  at  the  lower  end  of 
the  mill-dam.  where  formerly  Jonathan  Sayward 
Barren's  grist-mill  stood,  and  the  house  is  still 
occupied  by  the  Barrell  heirs.  Elder  Sayward 
was  at  one  time  the  most  extensive  land  owner  in 
York.     During  the  Revolutionary  War  he  was 

•  '  r 


,'i  Toic';i  of  York.  69 


to  carry  o.it  I  lie  ganis!;ning  the  above  house, 
V  it'll  sqii-.rc  timber,  cf  hemlcick,  oak,  or 
pine,  of  ten  inches  width,  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble :  firty-six  fe^t  one  way,  and  fifty-two 
the  other.      And  the  committee  are  directed 

suspected  of  adliorcnee  to  King  Gcorfje  III.  :  but 
it  was  aftcrvv^ards  ascertained,  on  examination,  to 
be  otherwise.  Jonathan  S.  Barreirs  father  was 
Nathaniel  Barrell,  an  Englisliman,  who  sympa- 
thized with  the  cause  of  the  king.  This  Nathaniel 
married  a  daughter  of  Elder  Sayward.  He  lived 
in  the  westerly  part  of  the  town,  on  the  place  now 
occupied  by  his  grandson,  Charles  C  Barrell,  Esq. 
A  beautiful  portrait  of  liis  wife,  painted  b}'  Copley, 
now  adorns  tlie  parlor  of  the  Barrell  mansion,  oc- 
cupied by  bis  granddaugbters,  the  Misses  Barrell. 
He  was  bale  and  bearty  to  a  great  age,  and  used 
to  visit  in  bis  "  one-horse  chaise  "  Judge  Sewall 
and  Mr.  Moody  (fatlier  of  the  late  Deacon  Samuel 
Moody,  and  grandfather  of  Capt.  Charles  Moody, 
recently  deceased),  each  of  the  trio  then  upwards 
of  eighty  years  of  age ;  and  on  one  occasion 
brought  with  him  an  old  lady,  a  Mrs.  Grover, 
more  than  ninety  years  of  age.  Her  centesimal 
birthday  was  ol)se;-ved  by  a  visit  from  her  friend^r 


70       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

to  inform  the  iuliabitants  in  getting  the  tim- 
ber, and  setting  up  the  same  ;  and  each  per- 
son or  persons  that  shall  deliver  any  timber 
suitable  for  said  work  shall  be  allowed  nine 
shillings  per  ton  ;  and  laborers  to  be  paid 
according  as  they  arc  workmen ;  and  the 
work  to  be  finished  at  or  bcfoic  the  tenth  of 
September  tlic  present  year. 

"  1724,  March.  —  A  bounty  of  four  pounds 
was  paid  for  each  grown  wolf  killed. 

"  172-1-5.  —  Samuel  Johnson  put  by  from 
voting.     Swine  allowed  to  go  at  Common. 

"  1725,  March  8. — Voted,  that  Sewell 
Banks  (Joseph)  be  requested  to  sit  in  the 
fore  seat  bdow  ;  and  his  wife,  as  becomes  a 
wife,  in  the  woman's  fore  seat.  V^oted,  that 
the  wife  of  Philip  Adams,  being  somewhat 
thick  of  hearing,  haye  liberty  to  move  forward 
in  the  meeting-house. 

"  1727,  May  8.  —  !Men  appointed  to  pre- 
vent trespassing  on  Sta^^e  Neck. 

"  l7o2,  June  30.  —  Common  land  divided 


Modern  Town  of  York.  71 

by  vote,  how  many  shares  of  eight  each  one 
shouli  have.  Lhlcr  Joseph  Sayward  was 
granted  laud  ia  consideration  of  his  eminent 
usef  hiess. 

"1733,  Dec.  5.  —  Voted,  to  raise  one 
hundred  pounds  towards  building  a  Court 
House." 

The  old  dwelling-house  which  formerly 
stood  on  Parish  land,  at  the  corner  of  the 
road  opposite  the  old  cemetery,  near  the 
present  Congregational  Church,  and  for  many 
years  occupied  by  Josephus  Howard,  as  a 
dwelling,  harness  and  saddlery  shop,  was  the 
old  town-house.  He  or  some  one  bought  it 
of  the  town,  where  he  moved  from  the  house 
he  occupied  next  to  Widow  S.  Grant's,  into 
this  old  town-house,  which  he  commenced  to 
remodel,  but  never  finally  completed  the 
work,  the  only  alterations  made  being  in  the 
partitions  in  the  lower  story.  After  his 
death,  the  building  was  either  torn  down  or 
moved  away.     Mr.  Howard  once  lived  in  the 


72        Ancient  City  of  Gorfjeana, 

house  first  built  and  occupied  by  Judge  Sew- 
all  (before  he  built  his  mansion  on  the  hill), 
between  Mrs.  Stephen  Grant's  (formerly  the 
Dr.W.  Lyman  house)  and  the  Madam  Lyman 
(widow  of  Rev.  Isaac)  house,  now  occupied 
by  Mrs.  Wm.  Allen.  In  a  building  on  the 
house  lot  was  a  bakery,  and  he  also  owned  a 
bowling-alley.  Mr.  Howard  was  for  some 
time  a  Captain  of  the  "  York  Artillery,"  an 
organization  of  some  importance,  at  least  in 
the  eyes  of  youngsters,  as  it  had  a  uniform 
consisting  of  blue  coats,  faced  with  scarlet, 
blue  pants,  and  chapeau  overtopped  by  a 
black  and  scarlet  feather. 

"1734,  Jan.  28.  —  Dimensions  of  Court 
House  :  thirty-three  feet  long,  twenty-eight 
feet  wide,  twenty  feet  stud,  lower  story ; 
eight  and  one  half  feet  upper  story,  pitch 
roof,  both  rooms  plastered."' 

The  old  court  or  town  house  stood  south- 
east of  the  site  of  the  present  one,  and  nearer 
the  road.     Its  front  was  not  next  the  street, 


3lo(Jeyu    Town  of  YorJc. 


as  is  inferred  from  a  inemorandiim  made  by 
Judge  David  Sewall,  while  Register,  on  t':e 
inside  of  the  cover  of  a  book  of  llecords 
(Vol.  XIL,  11-  gistry  at  Alfred)  : 

"Four  olni  trees  sot  nut  between  town-liouse 
find  uieeting-liouse,  in  York,  April  15,  177o." 

These  trees  are  still  standim^  in  front  of 
the  j^rcsent  town-house,  but  between  it  and 
the  sfrci-f,  whereas  Lc/ore  they  were  between 
the  town-house  and  the  church.  Whether 
th'^  front  of  the  old  house  was  toward  the 
street  or  church,  is  uncertain.  The  record 
does  not  say  they  were  set  out  in  front  of 
the  town-house,  but  between  it  and  the 
church.  It  might  have  fronted  the  street, 
and  the  trees  have  been  set  on  the  north-west 
side  ti  serve  as  a  shale  for  both  the  town- 
house  and  church. 

"  A  gun-h.ouse  stood  in  rear  of  the  town- 
house."*  This  was  torn  down,  i-nd  a  new  one 
built  farther  back,  and  directly  i:i  r:  ar  of  the 


7i        AnriOit  City  of  Gorgeana, 

present  town-house,  on  land  leased  by  the 
Parish  to  the  r'-tatc  of  Maine,  Nov.  6,  1826, 
It  was  afterwards  sold  by  the  State,  and 
moved  just  east  of  the  Daniel  Sewall  house, 
upon  land  belonging  to  the  estate  of  Charles 
O.  Emerscn. 

This  house  having  become  dilapidated  and 
of  a  size  insufficient  to  accommodate  the 
courts  and  the  business  of  the  town,  a  new 
one  was  erected  in  1811,  to  defray  the  ex- 
pense of  which  five  hundred  dollars  were 
appropriated  by  the  county,  six  hundred  by 
the  town,  and  the  balance  by  subscriptions 
of  varioi:s  individuals.  The  town  of  Kittery 
subscribed  also  in  its  corporate  capacity,  and 
many  individuals  there  gave  liberally.  They 
were  induced  to  do  this  from  the  fact  that,  in 
consequence  of  the  decayed  and  unsuitable 
condition  of  the  old  house,  the  courts  had  been 
removed  to  Kennebunk,  and  were  lield  there 
for  a  short  time.  The  new  building  was  fifty 
by  forty  feet ;  the  court-room  in  the  second 


Modem   Town  of  YorJc.  75 

story,  and  the  jury-rooms  and  hall  below, 
"were  clicaply  rurnished,  and  unpainted  inside. 
It  was  occ-asionaliy  used  for  a  school  while 
rebnildin*^  or  r^pairinj^  tlie  schoolhouse,  and 
occupied  by  the  courts  until  1832,  -when 
they  v>ere  removed  to  Alfred,  and  from  that 
time  till  now  it  lias  been  used  by  the  toun  as 
a  town-house.  Be?oming  very  much  out  of 
repair,  the  town,  at  its  ann  lal  meet'ng  in 
1873.  vot:d  to  raise  money  to  i  nprove  it,  and 
chose  a  committee  to  expend  the  money 
voted.  It  has  been  raised  so  as  to  make  the 
first  story  two  feet  higher  than  before,  and 
this  is  finished  in  a  neat  manner,  and  fitted 
for  holding  town-meetings,  Avith  office-rooms 
for  the  selectmen  and  other  town  officers. 
The  upper  story  is  new  a  beautiful  hall,  forty 
by  forty  feet,  in  addition  to  a  stage  or  ros- 
trum and  anto-rooms,  wi  li  a  vestibule  and 
easy  Eight  of  stairs,  A  handsome  portico  is 
built  on  the  front  next  the  s.reet.  Directly 
in  frint  of  ihc   house  ap,'   the  four  majestic 


70        Ancient  Citi;  of  Gorgeana, 

elms,  ])lantcd  by  Judge  Diivid  Sewall.  The 
building  is  well  painted  and  blkided,  and  fin- 
ished outside  in  modern  architectural  style, 
and  is  a  credit  to  the  tov.-n  and  all  interested 
in  the  improvement.  The  upper  story  is  fur- 
nished, and  admirably  cabulated  for  exhibi- 
tions, lectures,  parties,  etc. 

"1737,  March  14.  —  Swine  may  go  at 
Kberty,  if  yoked  and  ringed, 

"1737,  March  18.  —  Voted,  to  build  a 
workhouse  for  beggars, 

"1747.  —  Voted,  that  the  schoolhouse  near 
the  meetinghouse  bo  used  as  a  workhouse. 
Samuel  Sewall,  Jr.  [Major],  warder. 

"  1754.  —  Bill  in  regard  to  ])rivate  use  of 
spirituous  liquors,  opposed. 

"  1773,  March  9.  —  Voted,  that  the  select- 
men prvjcure  a  cure  for  Iiutli  Trlckey,  of  hei 
present  illness,  at  the  cheapest  rate  they 
can. 

"  1775,  April  2.  —  ^'oted  to  have  a  night- 
watch,  at  the  mouth  of  the  luirbor ;   two  on 


^ 


Modern  Totfn  of  York.  77 

each  side,  under  command  of  the  colonel  of 
alarm  men    militia). 

"  177.3. — Voted,  that  the  selectmen  pur- 
chase corn,  and  deal  it  out  as  they  think 
proper. 

"  1  775,  July  19. . —  Daniel  Bragdon,  David 
Sewall,  Ixhvard  limcrson,  went  to  Assembly 
at  Watertown,  ?.Iass/' 

At  that  time  Boston  w;is  in  possession  of 
the  British,  and  the  Massachusetts  Legisla- 
ture was  held  at  tluit  place. 

"  187G,  March  12. — Voted,  to  sell  one 
cannon  for  militia  use. 

"177G,  June  5.  —  Voted,  to  agree  with 
Congress  of  the  decision  to  declare  them- 
selves free  and  independent  colonies. 

"  177G,  Aug.  5.  —  Twelve  .dollars  bounty 
offered.      [Probably  for  military  recruits.] 

"  177G,  Dec. — Bounty  increased  to  fo  :r 
pounds,  ten  shillings.  Prices  paid  :  for  pork, 
threepence  a  pound ;  oxen,  six  shillings  a 
yoke  ;   horses,  seven  sliillings  apiece. 


78        Ancle  lit  City  of  (ior^rrmd. 

"  1777,  Aug.  18.  —  Bounty  six  pounds. 

"  1777,  Nov.  —  Three  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  pounds  for  ammunition,  arms,  and  men 
raised. 

"  1778,  May.  —  Sixty  pounds  bovmty, 

"1780. — John  Hancock  had  sixty-six 
votes  for  governor. 

'•  1781. — John  Hancock  had  thirty  voles. 

*' 1781,  June.  —  Daniel  Emery  appointed 
constable. 

"1782,  April.  —  John  IL-ncock  received 
forty- three  votes ;  whole  number  cast,  fifty- 
one  votes. 

"1782,  March.  —  Twenty-four  shillings 
bounty  for  killing  a  Molf,.  young  or  old, 
within  limits  of  town." 

The  bounty  for  killing  a  wolf  being  often 
as  high  as  ten  dollars,  it  was  thought  that 
the  same  animal  sometimes  "  did  duty"'  more 
than  once,  by  which  means  the  town  was 
cheated  into  paying  for  him  _t\vicc  or 
oftener. 


80         Ancient  Cltg  of  GovfjcanH, 


EARTH  QUAKES  C:)LD    AVKATlIKIl  SNOW- 
STORM S. 

The  first  day  of  the  month  of  June,  10138, 
is  memorable  on  account  of  the  first  great 
earthquake  whi-h  ocrnrrod  aflcr  the  settle- 
ment of  the  country.  The  course  was  from 
west  to  east,  its  duration  about  four  minutes, 
and  the  earth  was  unquiet  for  twenty  days. 
The  noise  was  like  that  of  a  multitude  of 
carriages  driven  swiftly  over  pavements. 
Many  chimneys  \vere  thrown  down,  the 
Avaters  greatly  agitated,  and  the  vessels  in 
the  harbors  and  at  the  wharves  violently 
shaken. 

In  1727  occurred  the  second  great  earth- 
quake that  New  England  experienced.  It 
happened  in  the  evening  of  October  29,  at 
about  ton  o'clock,  The  atmosphere  was 
calm,  the  sky  cloudless,  and  the  moon  walk- 
ing in  her  brightness.  The  shock  extended 
over  a  tract  of  some  hundred  miles  in  extent. 


Modern  Town  of  Torlc.  81 

shaking  the  buiklings,  oversetting  chimneys, 
and  making  in  some  places  clefts  and  fissures 
in  the  earth.  No  lives  were  ascertained  to 
have  been  lost.  This  event  excited  serious 
reflection  in  many  a  breast,  and  was  followed, 
in  some  of  the  towns,  by  an  improvement  in 
morals,  an  increase  of  piety,  and  considera- 
ble accessions  to  the  churches. 

The  third  great  earthquake  experienced  in 
New  England  occurred  a  little  before  day- 
break on  the  morning  of  November  18,  1755, 
after  a  clear  and  serene  night.  The  shock 
was  heavy,  and  of  con>iderable  duration. 
Suddenly  arousing  the  people  from  the  peace- 
ful slumbers  of  the  ni_ht,  it  exciied  great 
alarm.  It  threw  down  the  to])s  of  one  hun- 
dred chimneys  in  Boston,  and  shook  the 
country  from  Virginia  to  Nova  Scotia,  an 
extent  of  a  thousand  miles. 

Another  earthqua!:c  happened  on  th?  night* 
of  April  12,  1761,  wliich  wlts  succeeded  by 
still    another   the    following    autumn.       The 


82        Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

summer  of  tins  and  that  of  the  following 
year  Vvcrc  each  of  them  remarkable  for  a 
great  a.:d  distressing  drought,  which  ren- 
dered necessary  the  inij)orta:ion  of  large 
quantities  of  the  nece>^saries  of  life  from 
abroad. 

Other  casualties  are  rec  rded  as  occurring 
at  the  time  of  the  earth  juake,  or  following 
it.  Tliere  were  very  severe  winters,  of  long 
duration,  and  excessively  hot  summers. 
Some  of  tlie  snows  were  so  deep  that  it  was 
not  unusual  for  two-story  houses  to  be  two- 
thirds  buried  up,  and  neighbors  to  visit  each 
ot'ier,  on  snow-shoes,  through  the  chamber 
windows  jf  their  houses;  in  fact,  no  other 
communicatioi  could  be  had.  This  may  seem 
to  fiud  its  paralLl  in  the  great  freshets  in  the 
Western  States,  where  families  have  been 
rescued  from  a  watery  grave  by  being  taken 
from  the  third  story  of  their  dwellings  on 
board  a  steamboat  coming  alongside  the 
house  ! 


Moaeni  Town  of  Yovk.  83 

An  unusual  occuvrence  marked  the  spring 
of  16ou,  in  a  sudden  prevalence,  when  the 
apple  and  other  trees  were  in  full  blossom, 
of  cold  so  insupportable,  that  out  of  the  crew 
of  a  York  fishing  vessel,  then  happening  to 
be  at  sea,  one  man  died  of  the  cold  before 
the  boat  could  make  the  land,  another  was 
so  chilled  that  he  died  soon  after,  and  a 
third  lost  his  feet.  This  was^n  the  latter 
part  of  May.  There  have  been  frequent 
instances  of  the  occurrence  of  snow  on  the 
ground  and  blossoms  on  the  trees,  but  no 
occasion  since  of  so  intense  a  cold  so  late  in 
the  season. 

One  of  the  most  destructive  frosts  recorded 
in  the  annals  of  Maine,  or  even  New-England, 
occurred  in  ^lay  17,  1794.  The  season  was 
unusua  ly  eai'ly,  the  young  apples  were 
formed,  and  the  rye  headed,  when  one  fatal 
night  blasted  the  hoj)es  of  the  husbandman, 
and  de.stroyed  almost  entirely  the  fruit  and 
English  grain.     A  famine  seemed  inevitable, 


84        Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

but  an  All- wise  Providence  averted  such  a 
calamity,  and  tlic  next  year  was  one  of 
great  plenty. 

Cold  Tuesday,  as  January  31,  1815,  was 
designated,  was  remarkable  for  being  intensely 
cold.  The  year  is  well  remembered  as  the 
cold  season,  and  is  often  termed  in  familiar 
conversation  the  poverty  year.  The  mean 
temperature^  as  observed  in  many  plac?s  in 
Maine  remote  from  e  eh  other,  was  forty- 
three  degrees.  Sno.v  fell  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State  June  9  ;  and  August  was 
the  only  month  of  the  year  exempt  from  frost. 
Early  autumnal  fro:-ts  almost,  destroyed  the 
crop  of  Indian  corn.  Ice  formed  in  wells 
sunk  in'  elcv;itcd  ground  at  some  distance 
from  York  river,  and  was  not  dissolved  till 
the  latter  part  of  July.  Farmers  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  was  folly  to  think  of 
raising  tlieir  brc:id  on  tlic  cold  hills  of 
Maine,  and  that  they  must  hasten  to  the 
remcite  West,  where    they   f  ndly  hoped    to 


Mof^er.^i  Town  of  York 


find  an  almost  pcT])etual  siinsliiiie  and  unfail- 
ing plenty.  Never  was  the  passion  for 
oniigra'don,  then  familiarly  called  the  "  Oltio 
Fcccr,'^  at  a  greater  height.  Eut  though  the 
unusual  aspeet  of  the  season  deprived  many 
tov,ns  of  a  portion  of  their  inhabitants  by 
inducing  removals,  it  had  a  moral  influence 
highly  salutary  in  reminding  man  of  his 
dependence  on  his  Creator. 

In  February  20,  1717,  occurred  the  great- 
est fall  of  snow  recorded  in  the  annals  of 
New  England,  almost  burying  under  the 
frozen  mass  the  smair  log  and  other  houses 
of  the  new  plantations.  So  efFectually  were 
even  the  most  frequently  travelled  roads 
blocked  up,  that  the  magistrates  and  minis- 
ters of  Boston,  who  Irad  come  out  of  the  town 
on  the  first  day  of  the  storm  to  attend  the 
funeral  of  the  Rev.  'My.  Brattle,  at  Cambridge, 
were  unable  to  return  for  sivcral  days.  In 
sjme  portions  of  the  streets  of  B^tston,  and 
other  large  towns,  the  snow  wzz  ::ix  feet  in 


8fi        Ancient  City  of  Oorgeana, 

dc})tli  ;  and  on  the  thousand  hills  of  JNIainc, 
New  Hampshire,  and  other  States,  it  lay  in 
immense  bodies. 

In  February,  1803,  a  snow  fell  in  New 
England  of  great  depth  and  density,  a  large 
part  of  it  consisting  of  minute  ])articles,  re- 
sembling hail.  Had  it  fallen  in  a  light, 
fleecy  form,  as  is  usual  in  deep  snows,  it  was 
thought  it3  depth  would  have  exceeded  the 
great  snow-storm  of  1717. 

April  13,  1843,  was  memorable  for  a  heavy 
fall  of  snow,  requiring  roads  to  be  broken  out. 

Sunday,  April  26,  1871,  was  ushered  in 
by  more  than  a  foot  of  snow,  and  more 
falling  throughout  the  entire  day. 

Late  in  the  month  of  March  and  early  in 
November,  1873,  teams  of  oxen  and  sleds 
were  brought  into  requisition  to  break  out 
roads  in  York  and  vicinity. 

May  1,  1874,  witnessed  the  phenomena 
in  Kictery  of  farmers  ploughing  their  ground 
covered  with  snow. 


Modern  Town  of  York.  87 


GAREISOX-IIOUSES  SCOTLANJ). 

Of  the  many  gaiTison-liouscs  once  standing 
in  this  town,  but  two  now  remain :  the 
Junkins  and  the  MIntire.  They  are  located 
near  each  other,  just  above  the  third,  or 
Swing-bridge,  on  the  north-easterly  side,  and 
near  the  bank  of  York  Ilivcr.  The  ]MTntire 
house  is  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  and 
has  been  occupied  as  a  dwelling  for  many 
years,  and  until  quite  recently  by  John  MTn- 
tire,  Esq..  the  wealthiest  man  in  York.  It 
was  built  by  his  ancestors,  who  wer:)  early 
settlers  (1640—5)  in  this  part  of  the  town, 
and,  as  the  name  indicates,  were  emigrants 
from  Scotland,  as  were  many  of  their  neigh- 
bors. The  Junkins  house  is  sadly  dilapi- 
dated, and  fast  going  to  decay  ;  the  ]Nrintire 
house,  if  cared  for,  as  at  j:rescnt,  will  remain, 
for  hundreds  of  years  to  come,  as  a  monu- 
ment of  the  past. 

These  garrison-houses,  when  built,  resem- 


88        Aiicienf  City  of  Govgeana, 

bled  in  their  exterior  appearance  a  modern 
dwelling.  They  were  massive  and  strong, 
and  made  of  hewn  timber  dove-tailed  and 
trunnellcd  togetlier,  with  the  seams  caidked, 
So  as  to  be  nearly,  if  not  quite,  water- tight. 
Lorjpholes  for  musketry  were  provid:d  in  the 
sides  ;  and  from  a  loft,  over  which  a  fl(.>or 
was  laid,  there  were  draws  from  which  watch 
could  be  kept  on  an  approaching  enemy. 
The  second  story  of  these  houses  projected 
out  and  over  the  first,  all  around.  In  this 
jutting  out  openings  were  made,  through 
which  the  enemy  could  be  annoyed  with  mis- 
siles ;  and  in  case  any  attempts  were  made  to 
fire  the  edifice,  water  could  be  poured  down 
to  cjucn-jh  it.  Whenever  an  alarm  was  given 
that  the  "  French  or  Indians  were  coming," 
the  women  and  children  would  flee  to  these 
houses.  Their  fronts  invariably  faced  the 
south.  These  relics  indicate  a  period  when 
travel  to  the  eastward  kept  to  the  seaboard, 
and  Old  York  was  a  place  of  r7iuch  greater 


Moihrii  Totrtt  of  York,  s'J 

relative  importance  than  at  present.  During 
the  savage  inroads  communication  between 
the  settlements  was  extremely  clitlicalt.  Low 
tide  aiForded  the  adventurous  messenger  a 
way,  by  making  use  of  the  shores  and  sea- 
beaches  wherever  practicable.  Where  the 
journey  appeared  too  hazardous  for  even  the 
hardy  settlers,  dogs  were  despatched  with  a 
pouch  of  letters  attached  to  their  collars. 

OLD    AITLE-TREE. 

The  apple-tree  flourishes  well,  and  bears 
bountifully  in  this  town  ;  so  much  so,  that 
Cider-Hill  has  long  been  a  name  applied  to 
a  section  in  the  northerly  portion  of  the 
town.  Here  is  still  standing  an  apple-tree 
Avhich  is  said  to  have  been  brought  from 
England,  in  a  litt'e  tub  or  box,  by  one  of  the 
early  settlers,  more  tlian  two  liundred  and 
forty  years  ago.  It  lias  borne  fruit  up  to 
the  present  time  (187  1^  ;  but  the  trunk  is  a 
mere  upright  hollow  log,  and  only  one  limb 


Do       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

retaining  any  vital. ty,  it  is  not  likely  to  sur- 
vive many  years  longer.  Since  the  forests 
have  disappe;ire  1,  agriculture  has  been  the 
leading  pursuit,  and  corn,  hay,  i)otatoes,  etc., 
are  the  principal  crops. 

OLD    STAGEY    HOUSE HAEMON     MASSACRE. 

The  old  Stacey  house,  which  formerly 
stood  on  the  hill,  near  the  south-westerly  end 
of  the  Parish  Creek  bridge,  on  the  easterly 
side  of  the  road,  had  many  legends  con- 
nected with  it.  It  was  a  quaint  old  wooden 
structure,. abounding  in  projections  and  sharp 
angles,  with  an  enormous  chimney  in  its  cen- 
tre, resting  on  the  declivity  of  a  hill,  which 
made  it  half  basement,  and  was  once  fitted 
up  and  occupied  as  a  store.  The  interstices 
between  its  outer  and  inner  walls  were  said 
to  have  been  filled  with  brick  This  house 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  mill-pond,  which 
was  navigable  for  vessels  of  considerable 
size,  until   the   dam   below  was  built.     As 


Moffern  Town  of  Tork,  91 


early  ar>  lOoO  o  IGlO.  ihis  buikliiif^  was,  un- 
doubtedly, u  ed  as  a  jdacc  of  trade,  and  was 
said  to  bo  wliat  is  no^^  known  as  a  '•'(HiiJt- 
/ioifj<'\"  ^h.  Stac-ey  was  one  of  Paul  Joiios's 
oificcrs,  in  his  naval  career,  and  died  at  a 
very  advanced  ai;C,  a  United  States  pensioner. 
When  the  bouse  was  torn  down,  in  1870,  a 
skeleton  was  found  under  the  h^^arth  ;  and  a 
very  ancient  sign-board,  with  the  inscription: 

'"Coffee.    Tea.    Sugar.   Molas'^es.    Spices.    Rum 
and  G{?i,    Wi/ic,  Brandy,  d-c.," 

was  also  found.  Perhaps  this  was  the  skel- 
eton of  one  of  the  Indians  killed  in  the  Har- 
mon Massacre.  A  timber  was  marked 
"  1634.''  The  remains  of  a  wharf  still  exist 
on  the  east  side  of  the  mill-pond,  nearly  oppo- 
site the  site  of  this  old  house.  Previous  to 
the  demolition  of  this  house  a  portion  of  it 
Avas  occupied  by  the  resident  Methodist  min- 
ist(.r,  and  the  lot  is  now  a  part  of  the  parson- 
age of  that  society. 


92        Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

The  •'  Harmon  ]\Iassacrc  "'  happened  in 
this  \vi  e.  Tlic  people  calld  by  the  name 
of  Harmon  lived  at  tlic  lower  part  of  the 
town,  near  the  ocean.  The  men  were  sea- 
faring persons,  and  dauniless  in  disposition. 
During  their  absence  on  a  voyage,  some  one 
or  more  Indians  insulted  the  female  portion 
of  one  of  their  families.  On  their  return 
from  sea,  determined  on  revenge,  the  latter 
invited  the  Indians  to  have  a  yoiuwow,  on  the 
point  of  land  at  the  west  end  of  the  Barrell 
Mill-dam.  The  Indians  accepted  the  invita- 
tion, .and  kept  np  the  debauch  till  late  at 
night,  when,  being  very  drunk,  the  Harmons 
and  their  friends  slaughtered  every  one  of 
their  number.  This  was  on  Saturday  night. 
The'  next  morning  tliQ  .tidings  of  the  affair 
spread  far  and  wide,  and  Father  ]\Ioody 
in  his  discourse  alluded  to  tliat  inhuman 
butchery  in.  a  terribly  scathing  manner,  and 
prophesied  that  the  name  would  be  cut  off, 
and  the  time  come  when  not  one  mule  by 


3Io(lern  Toivn  of  York,  93 

the  name  of  Harmon "''"  could  be  found.  The 
prophecy  has  been  completely  fulfilled  —  no 
person  by  the  name  of  Harmon  has  lived  in 
York  for  the  last  thirty  years,  at  least.  This 
massacre  took  place  not  more  than  sixty  rods 
from  the  Stacey  house. 

COUNTY    COUKTS    AND    OFFICEKS JAIL. 

The  Isles  of  Shoals,  and  all  .the  territory 
northward  of  the  Piscataqua  River  belonging 
to  Massachusetts,  were  erected  into  a  county 
by  the  name  of  Yorkshire.     A  County  court 

*  This  name  is  identified  with  Indian  skirmishes 
from  tlie  earliest  settlement  of  Maine.  '•  Captain 
Harmon,  of  Gorgeana,  now  York,  was,  for  many 
years,  the  terror  of  the  Eastern  Indians.  In  one 
of  his  expeditions  up  the  Kennebec  River,  at  the 
head  of  a  squad  of  rangers,  he  discovered  a  party 
of  twenty  savages  asleep  by  a  large  fire.  Cau- 
tioiisly  creeping  towards  tliem  until  he  was  certain 
of  his  aim,  he  ordered  his  men  to  single  out  their 
objects.  The  first  discharge  killed  or  mortally 
wotmded  the  whole  number  of  the  unconscious 
sleepers." 


94        Ancient  City  of  Gorge  ana, 

M'as  established,  lo  be  holden  alternately  at 
Kittery  and  Agamenticus,  at  appointed  times, 
twice  a  year.  In  1654,  Abraham  Preble  v.-as 
County  treasurer  for  Yorksliire.  The  name 
of  York  was  probably  taken  from  the  county 
and  town  of  that  name  in  England.  The 
name  of  Agamenticus,  or  Gorgeana,  was 
probably  dropped,  and  that  of  Y'trk  substi- 
tuted, in  order  to  avoid  the  city  charter  and 
Gorges's  right.  It  was  tUeseat  of  govern- 
ment under  Gorges,  and  the  land  titles  are 
derived  through  him,  ;..This  town  ^yas  the 
residence  of  Edward  Johnson,  Colonel  Jere- 
miah Moulton,  Hon!'I)avid  Sewall,  and  other 
eminent  men  of  the  present  and  past  genera- 
tions. Probably  Girgeana  enjoyed  its  city 
l^rivilegcs  untjil,  it  ^vas  made  a  town  in  1652. 
The  first  toAvn  commissioners  appointed  in 
York  wer§-^Abraham  Preble,  Edward  God- 
frey, Ed'ward  Johnson,  and  Edward  Hish- 
worth.'  "  Henrv  Norton  was    first    ap]iointed 

•  if." 

marshal  or    sheriff   of   the  town.      Jeremiah 


3Ioderii  Town  of  York,  95 

Moulton,  Sr.,  was  one  of  the  leading  men  in 
the  town,  up  to  1744,  and  lived  to  a  very 
old  age.  He  is  designated  on  the  records 
b}'  the  various  tides  of  E^q.^  Hon.^  Mr.  His 
son,  Jeremiah,  was  parish  clerk  from  1731  to 
1743,  and  a  Colonel  in  the  military  service 
at  the  capture  of  Louisburg,  and  marched  all 
the  way  from  York  to  Quebec,  with  a  com- 
pany of  soldiers.  He  was  the  father  of 
Daniel,  the  cliirographer,*  who  was  both 
parish  and  town  clerk  from  1744  to  1782, 
eaibracing  a  period  of  thirty-eight  years. 

In  1653  the  jail  was  built,  and  a  countj 
tax  was  laid  to  defray  the  expense  of  it.  Ap 
addition  wa'^  made  to  it  some  time  after.  No 
record  is  kno.vn  to  be  in  existence  to  dat^ 
from,  but  the  whole  of  the  original  gambre^ 
roofed  structure  still  remains. 

*  The  nunie  of  Daniel  Mouhon  appears  on  tK  » 
records  very  frequently,  in  connection  with  boih 
the  conveyancing  of  real  estate  and  town  affairs. 
His  chirography  tliere  is  faultless, 


90        Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

THE    SEWALL  MANSIOX. 

Honorable  David  Scwall  built  and  occu- 
pied for  many  years,  until  his  decease,  at  the 
venerable  age  of  more  than  ninety  years,  the 
elegant  mansion,  noticeable  by  all  strangers, 
now  standing  on  the  north  side  of  the  road 
going  east  from  the  post-office.  He  was  a 
man  of  eminent  character,  and  classmate  and 
life-long  friend  and  correspondent  of  John 
Adams  ;  an  able  lawyer,  an  ui)right  judge,  a 
true  philanthropist,  and  a  devout  Christian. 
He  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  scliool,  and 
Avore  small-clothes,  or  breeches,  white  stock- 
ings, —  except  on  days  of  ceremony,  when  he 
wore  black  silk,  —  knee  and  shoe  buckles  of 
silver,  and  sometimes  a  three-cornered  cocked 
hat.  His  house,  the  home  of  hospitality,  was 
presided  over  by  Madam  Sewall  with  a  charm- 
ing grace  and  dignity,  which  fitted  hor  to 
adorn  any  station.  Judge  Sewall  first  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Parker,  and  afterwards  Miss 


Modern  Toivn  of  York,  97 

Elizabeth  Langdon,  who  survived  him  sev- 
eral years.  What  Avas  mortal  of  these  lies  in 
the  north-west  corner  of  the  old  cemetery. 

MIRACLES      AT      THE      ISLES      OF      SlIOALS 

KEA'OLUTION     IX     MAINE. 

The  Isles  of  Shoals,  portions  of  which 
were  attached  to  both  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire,  were,  in  1G60,  inhabited  by 
forty  families.  Being  places  of  note  and 
great  resort,  the  General  Court,  in  May, 
16G1,  incorporated  them  into  a  town  by  the 
name  of  Appledore,  and  invested  it  with 
the  powers  and  privileges  of  other  towns. 

Rev.  John  Brock  was  a  minister  among 
these  islanders  for  twelve  years  subsequent 
to  1650.  He  came  to  New  England  when  a 
V  youth,  and  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in 
1646.  A  couple  of  authentic  anecdotes  will 
show  some  of  his  peculiarities.  "  A  fisher- 
man of  generous  disposition,  whose  b-.at  had 
been  of  great  use  in   hel{)ing  the  people  from 


98        Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

other  islands  to  his  church,  on  the  Sabbath, 
had  the  misfortane  to  lose  it  in  a  storm. 
While  regretting  his  loss,  the  preacher  said 
to  him:  '■'■Go  home  contented^  good  sir  ;  IHl 
mentio7i  the  matter  to  the  Lord;  to-morrow 
you  may  expect  to  find  your  boat."  Consid- 
ering its  particular  service  to  the  poor,  he 
made  it  a  subject  of  earnest  prayer ;  and, 
sure  enough,  the  next  day  it  was  brought  up 
from  the  bottom  of  the  sea  by  the  flukes  of 
an  anchor,  and  restored  to  its  owner !  One 
Arnold's  child,  six  years  old,  lay  extremely 
sick,  if  not  really  dead.  Mr.  Brock,  who  was 
present,  thinking  he  perceived  some  possible 
signs  of  life,  arose,  and  with  his  usual  faith 
and  fervor  prayed  for  its  restoration,  using 
these  remarkable  words  towards  the  close : 
*'  0  Lord,  be  pleased  to  give  some  token, 
before  we  leave  prayer,  that  thou  ivilt  spare 
the  child^s  life.  Until  it  be  granted,  we  cannot 
leave  thee."  Immediately  the  child  sneei5ed, 
and  afterwards  recovered.     Elder  Brock  died 


Modern  Town  of  York.  99 

at  Reading,  Massachusetts,  in  1688,  aged 
sixty- eight  years. 

The  symptoms  of  political  revohition  in 
Maine  at  this  time  (1662)  appeared  e%-ery- 
■svhere  strong.  Although  the  towns,  includ- 
ing Appledore,  might  send  some  ten  or 
eleven  deputies  to  th'e  General  Court,  not 
one  was  returned  in  the  spring  of  this  year. 
"  Liberty  of  speech  and  of  the  press,"  if  they 
had  any,  was  limited  by  the  operation  of  a 
gag-law.  For  examples,  a  fine  was  imposed 
on  Robert  Ford,  for  saying,  "  John  Cotton 
was  a  liar,  and  had  gone  to  hell ;"  and  Robert 
Booth  was  indicted  by  the  gi-and  jury  for 
saying  of  the  Bay  magistrates,  "  They  are  a 
company  of  hypocritical  rogues ;  they  fear 
neither  God  nor  the  king." 

In  166-5,  at  the  July  term  in  Wells,  the 
('ourt  ordered  "  any  town  to  take  care  that 
there  be  in  it  a  pair  of  stoiks,  a  cage,  and 
couching  [ducking]  stool,  to  be  erected  be- 
tween this  and  the  nest  court."     The  last 


100      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana* 

mentioned  was  the  old  instrument  for  the 
punishment  of  common  scolds.  This  stool 
consisted  of  a  long  beam,  moving  like  a  well- 
sweep  upon  a  fulcrum,  one  end  of  which 
could  be  extended  over  a  pond  and  let  down 
into  it  at  the  will  of  the  operator ;  on  this  a 
seat  was  fixed,  upon  which  the  culprit  was 
placed,  and  then  immersed  in  the  water. 

KEPRESENTATIVES  SOLDIERS. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  deputies 
or  representatives  to  the  General  Court  from 
York,  with  their  term  of  service,  while  the 
province  was  under  the  Colony  charter : 
Edward  Rish worth,  1653,  thirteen  years, 
and  for  Wells  one  year.  Peter  Wyer,  1665, 
two  years.  Samuel  Wheelwright,  1677,  one 
year,  and  for  Wells  and  York  one  year. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  first  repre- 
sentatives to  the  "  Great  and  General  Court,'* 
—  probably  held  at  Boston,  Massachusetts : 
Lieutenant  Abraham  Preble,  1699  and  1709; 


Modern  Toivii  of  York.  lOI 


Samuel  Doniull.  ]  700:  James  Plaisted,  1701; 
Captain  Lewis  Bane,  1705  and  1711  ;  Lieu- 
tenant Samuel  Came,  1816. 

In  King  Philip's  war,  in  lG7o,  York  fur- 
nished eighty  soldiers. 

CO^'GIIE'^ATIOXAL    CHURCH. 

The  fir-t  Congregational  Church  of  York 
is  presumed  to  have  been  organized  as  early 
as  1662,  by  Rev.  Shubiel  Dummer.  From 
fr^fgmentary  records  it  is  ascertained  that  his 
ministry  with  the  people  of  York  began  in 
16G2.  He  preached  his  own  ordination  ser- 
mon, from  the  passage,  "  Bdurn^  0  Lord, 
and  visit  this  vine." ''^-  Mr.  Dummer  was 
born  at  Newbury,  Massachusetts,  I'cbiuary 
17,  1636,  and  graduated  at  Harvard  Col- 
lege, in  16.36.  He  married  a  Miss  Kish- 
worth,    daughter   of  the   celebrated   Edward 

*  As  iftlie  Lord  hud  departed,  and  this  text  was 
BC  invitiition  for  his  return.  —  Ed, 


102       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

Hishworth.  His  ministry  continued  until 
January  2,  1692,  when  he  was  killed  at  his 
own  door,  while  mounting  his  horse,  to  make 
a  pastoral  visit,  by  Indians  in  ambush.  He 
was  shot  through  the  back,  and  fell  dead 
upon  his  face.  His  wife  was  taken  captive 
at  the  same  time,  with  many  other  inhabi- 
tants, and  the  settlement  was  nearly  de- 
stroyed. He  lived  near  the  sea-side,  on  a 
neck  of  land,  near  what  is  called  Koaring 
Rock. 

For  the  six  following  years  the  remaining 
settlers  had  little  if  any  preaching.  Mr. 
Dummer's  immediate  successor  was  Rev. 
Samuel  Moody,  the  "Father  Moody"  of 
whom  so  many  eccentricities  are  related. 
He  was  born  in  Newbury,  Massachusetts, 
Jan.  4,  1675,  and  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1697.  He  came  to  York,  May 
16,  1698,  and  preached  as  a  candidate  till 
his  ordination,  Dec.  20,  1  700.  The  people 
had  not  recovered  from  their  losses  by  the 


Modern  Totcn  o/  Yor7c,  103 

_ 

French  and  Indians,  in  1692,  and  were  so 
poor  that  Mr.  Moody  applied  to  the  General 
Court  nf  Massachusetts  for  aid,  "asking  such 
allowance  as  to  your  wisdom  and  justice  shall 
seem  fit."  That  body  allowed  him  twelve 
prun'^^'S  sterling  (sixty  dollars). 

Mr.  Moody  had  declined  a  settlement  upon 
a  stipulated  salary,  choosing  rather  to  live 
thi'ough  faith,  dependent  upon  his  Divine 
Master  and  the  voluntary  contributions  of  the 
people.  The  latter  would  seem  a  very  pre- 
carious dependence  ;  as  good  authority  has 
asserted  his  family  was  oftentimes  not  many 
removes  from  starvation.  He  continued 
in  the  ministry  forty-seven  years,  and  died 
Nov  13,  1747,  aged  seventy-two  years,  much 
lamented  and  greatly  endeared  to  his  charge, 
and  highly  respected  by  his  country.  He 
was  buried  in  the  old  cemetery.  By  the 
wording  of  his  epitaph,  "  lest  he  should  be 
charged  with  vain  glory,"  he  "  commends 
his  own  ministry,"  as  a  perfect  one,  not 
susceptible   of  condemnation,  and   makes  a 


104      Ancient  €ity  of  Oorfjeana, 

. » , 

declaration  that  he  had  used  all  sincerity  and 

diligence  in  jn-caching  the  gospel.      The  last 

line  on  his  grave-store  is,  "  For  his  further 

cliaracter,  you  may  read,  2  Corinth,  iii.  1-6  " : 

"  ])()  wc  begin  again  to  coininend  ourselves?  or 
need  we,  as  some  otiiers,  epistles  of  commenda- 
tion to  you.  or  letters  of  cominenilation  from  you? 
Ye  are  our  epistles  written  in  our  hearts,  known 
and  read  of  all  men  :  Forasmuch  as  ye  are  mani- 
festly declared  to  be  the  epistle  of  Christ  minis- 
tered hy  us,  written  not  with  ink,  but  with  the 
Si)irit  of  the  living  God  ;  not  in  tables  of  stone,  but 
in  lleshy  tal)les  of  the  heart.  And  such  trust  have 
we  tiirough  Christ  to  God-ward  :  Not  that  we  are 
sutficient  of  ourselves  to  tliink  any  thing  as  of  our- 
selves; but  our  sufficiency  is  of  God;  who  also 
hath  nuide  us  able  ministers  of  the  new  testament; 
not  of  the  letter,  but  of  the  spirit:  for  the  letter 
killeth,  but  the  spirit  giveth  life." 

This  was  an  ingeniotis  method  of  getting 
a  long  epitaph  on  an  ordinary  grave-stone. 

The  application  to  himself  is  seen  in  the 
verses  thit  follow,  particularly  his  ''  plainness 
of  speech,"  in  the  twelfth. 

In  1 749  Mr.  Moody  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Isaac  Lyman,  a  g.aduate  at  Yale  Col- 
lege, in  1747,  who  died  in  1810. 

Mr.  Moody's  ministry  was  marked  by  the 
perils  and  agitations  incident    to  wars  with 


Modern  Town  of  Voik.  105 

the  French  and  Indians,  but  the  church  pros- 
pered. He  received  visits  from  Whitefield, 
the  great  revivalist,  upon  both  occasions  (jf 
his  coming  to  Americi.  On  his  last  visit,  in 
Oct.,  1744,  Father  ?^Ioody  welcomed  him 
thus:  "'Sir,  you  are  first  welcome  to 
America ;  secondly,  to  Xew  England  ;  thirdly, 
to  all  the  faithful  ministers  of  Xew  England  ; 
fourthly,  to  all  the  good  people  of  New 
England ;  fifthly,  to  all  the  good  people  of 
York ;  and  sixthly  and  lastly,  to  me,  dear 
sir,  less  than  the  least  of  all."  His  sympa- 
thies were  quickly  touched  by  the  distress  of 
others,  and  his  power  to  relieve  only  limited 
by  the  scantiness  of  his  purse.  Mr.  Moody's 
influence  was  such,  that, 

"  At  clmrcli,  with  meek  and  unaffected  grace, 
.  His  looks  adorned  tlie  venerable  place ; 
Truth  from  his  lips  prevailed  with  double  sway, 
And  fools  who  came  to  scoff  remained  to  pray." 

His  character  is  happily  drawn  thus : 

"  He  loved  the  world  that  frowned  on  him  ;  the  tear 
That  dropped  upon  his  Bible  was  sincere ; 


106      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

Assailed  by  scamlal  and  the  tongue  of  strife, 
His  only  answer  was  a  blameless  life." 

His  successors  were  Rev.  Isaac  Lyman, 
Iloswell  Messinger,  Moses  Dow,  Eber  Car- 
penter, John  Haven,  John  L.  Ashby^  William 
J.  Newman,  John  Smith,  William  A.  Patten, 
William  AV.  Parker,  lliifus  M.  Sawyer,  John 
Parsons,  and  Benj.  W.  Pond.  David  Sewall, 
the  present  pastor,  commenced  his  ministry 
Dec.  7,  1873.  Who  the  first  deacons  were 
is  not  known.  John  Harmon  is  spoken  of  as 
deacon  in  1731,  and  Joseph  Hclt  in  1739. 
The  parsonage  was  burned  March  31,  1742, 
and  with  it  the  records,  so  that  only  an  im- 
perfect account  is  preserved  prior  to  that  year. 

Fifteen  years  before  Mr.  Moody's  death,  he 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  another  church  and 
society  formed  in  the  north-west  section  of 
York,  and  of  assisting  at  the  ordination  of  his 
son"  Rev.  Joseph  Moody,  Nov.  29,  1732.  His 
son  graduated  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and 
lived  in  his  native  town  fourteen  years  after 
attaining    to    majority,    where    he    held    the 


3Io(Jerii  Town  of  York.  107 

offices  of  town  clerk,  co-inty  register  of 
deeds,  and  a  judge  of  the  Common  Pleas 
Court,  before  he  was  ordained.  In  less 
tlian  two  y  ars  after  his  ordinr.tion,  he  fell 
into  a  melancholy  state  of  mind,  and  was 
known  by  the  sobriquet  of  "'Handkerchief 
Moody,"'  from  his  constantly  wearing  a  hand- 
kerchief over  his  face  after  this  period.  He 
died  March  20,  1753.  Nathaniel  G.  Mar- 
shall has  in  his  possession  a  law  book,  printed 
in  Old  English  text  or  black  letter,  which 
once  belonged  to  fliis  Joseph  Moody,  He 
was  a  profound  scholar,  and  it  is  supposed 
that  his  melancholy  arose  from  the  fact  that, 
contrary  to  his  wishes,  he  was  induced  by 
his  father  to  enter  the  ministry.  The  title- 
j)age  ends  thus  : 

HontJon  : 

i3TtntrtJ  for  t^c  vToinpanic  of  StationrrS. 
1627. 

Interesting  memoranda  on  the  fly  leaves  are 
entered   in   the    handwriting  of  Mr.  Moody, 


108      Ancietd  City  of  Govfjecina* 

most  of  which,  however,  is  illegible.  He  was 
for  a  long  time  clerk  of  the  town.  His  suc- 
cessors were,  in  1742,  Rev.  Samuel  Chandler, 
and  in  1754,  Rev.  Samuel  Langton,  who  died 
in  1794,  This,  the  second  parish  in  York, 
was  settled  in  Oliver  Cromwell's  time,  by 
Scotch  people,  and  has  since  been  called 
Scotland.  Cromwell,  the  Protector,  as  he 
was  then  called,  having  obtained  a  victory 
over  a  body  of  Scottish  royalists,  thought 
transportation  to  be  the  t)est  disposition  he 
CO  Id  m;ike  of  the  prisoners,  and  therefore 
banished  them  to  Am:  rica.  Their  sympathies 
being  with  Sir  Fordin;indo  Gorges,  who  had 
taken  up  arms  in  the  civil  wars  on  the  same 
side,  they  sL-ttie  1  upon  a  section  of  his  patent. 
In  order  to  show  that  tlie  ministers  did  not 
'■'•  inaacli  for  Jiirr,''  let  r.s  mention  the  salaries 
of  a  few  of  the  earlier  ones  :  Lyman,  $oOO  ; 
Messinger,  $350  ;  and  Mr.  Dow,  $450  per 
year,  with  the  parsonage.  Even  with  this 
small  pittance,  Mr.  Dow  was  called  upon  to 


3Iodern  Town  of  Yorh.  109 


relinquish  one  hundred  dolkirs  of  his  salary, 
at  three  different  times,  wliich  h:-  did  each 
time,  thou  .h  his  moelc  and  patient  s/irit,  at 
one  of  the  calls,  rcbjlljd.  Tie  toll  the  com- 
mittee who  called  i.pr>n  him  to  make  known 
the  request  of  the  Parish,  that  he  would  give 
his  answer  in  writing,  which  he  did,  to  the 
parish  meeting  assembled,  in  the  e  words : 
*'  If  the  par'sh  think  it  just  and  right  thus  to 
take  away  their  ininist  r"s  support,  it  is  done, 
and  I  consent  to  give  them  another  one  hun- 
dred dollars  of  my  s.dar..'' 

This  wa>  at  a  time  when  many  of  the 
parish  "  ]^ollod  off,"  as  it  was  termed;  that  is, 
formed  new  and  joined  other  sectarian  organ- 
izations to  avoid  paying  parish  taxes,  and  a 
gr.at  pait  of  \\\2  records  are  taken  up  in 
recording  such  examples  of  leave-taking. 

It  may  bo  proper  here  to  speak  of  the 
parish  and  its  relation  to  the  church.  In  the 
e  lily  settlement  of  the  country,  lands  were 
granted  and  laid  out  in   the  different  towns 


110       Ancient  City  of  Gorge^na, 

for  the  support  of  a  minister.  These  lands 
were  controlled  by  the  town  till  the  incorpo- 
ration of  a  parish,  when  they  passed  under 
the  control  of  a  body  thus  organized,  called  a 
parish  society.  The  warrant  to  hold  a  meet- 
ing for  the  purpose  of  organizing  was  issued 
March  5,  1731,  by  William  Pepperell,  jus- 
tice of  the  peace ;  and  the  parish  meeting 
was  held  March  27,  1731,  at  which  John 
Harmon  was  moderator,  and  Jeremiah  Moul- 
ton  parish  clerk.  It  now  assumed  the  re- 
sponsibility of  providing  for  the  minister's 
salary,  and  the  care  of  the  parish  property. 
Some  of  its  action  in  this  direction  may  not 
be  uninteresting. 

In  1732,  this  society  voted  to  purchase  a 
slave  to  be  employed  for  Rev.  Samuel  Moody, 
and  appointed  Samuel  Came,  Esq.,  Richard 
Millbury,  and  Joseph  Holt,  agents,  to  make 
such  purchase.  At  the  same  time,  it  was 
\  oted  to  hire  a  man  to  live  with  Mr.  Moody 


Modern  Taivti  of  York.  Ill 


till  a  slave  could  be  purchased.  In  1734,  it 
was  again  voted  to  hire  a  man  or  buy  a  slave 
for  that  ye;:r,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty 
pounds  (SGOO),  ordered  to  be  raised  for  that 
purpose.  The  parish  assessors  were  in- 
structed to  buy  the  slave,  and  deliver  him 
into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Moody,  to  he  employed 
in  his  service  during  the  pleasure  of  the 
parish.  In  1735,  the  assessor  was  ordered 
to  take  charge  of  the  negro  until  the  next 
parish  meeting.  At  that  meeting,  in  March, 
173G,  he  was  empowered  to  dispose  of  the 
negro  to  the  best  advantage,  and,  as  fiir  as 
the  records  show,  this  ended  the  dealings  of 
the  parish  in  slaves. 

In  April  16,  1742,  five  hundred  pounds, 
old  tenor,  was  voted  to  be  raised  to  build  a 
new  parsonage-house,  on  the  spot  where  tliat 
one  stood  which  was  burned  March  31,  1742. 
This  house  stood  until  1859,  when  it  was 
torn  down,  and  the  present  one  built,  which 
is  a  substantial  two-storied  house,  with 
modern  conveincnces,  and  finished  through- 


112      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

out.  A  good  vestry,  a  few  rods  from  the 
parsonage-house,  was  built  the  year  previous. 
The  present  meeting-house  was  founded 
in  1747,  as  appears  by  an  inscription  on  a 
foundation  stone,  beneath  the  south-west 
corner.  The  first  action  in  relation  to  its 
building  was  taken  in  parish  meeting,  April 
19,  1744,  and  various  meetings  were  held, 
and  votes  passed,  until  March  25,  1747,  when 
it  was  voted  to  raise  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds,  by  taxation,  in  addition  to  the  sub- 
scriptions made.  This  vote  was  vehemently 
opposed  by  some  of  the  parishioners,  and 
four  of  them  had  their  dissent  entered  on  the 
parish  records.  It  was  subsequently  re- 
scinded (April  1,  1747),  and  "  made  null  and 
void."  The  old  meeting-house  was  ordered 
to  be  taken  down,  such  of  its  materials  as  were 
suitable  to  be  used  in  the  construction  of  the 
new  house,  and  was  not  wholly  finished  when 
Mr.  Moody  died  (Xov.  13,  1747).  A  parish 
meeting  was  in  session  on  the  day  of  his 
death,    to    hear    the    report  of  the  building 


3L}(Iei  n  Town  of  YorJc.  1 13 

committee.  The  pews  were  to  be  appor- 
tioned upon  a  valuation  of  five  thousand 
pounds  (old  tenor).  The  Rev.  Samuel 
Moody's  funeral  expenses,  amountinp^  to 
one  hundred  and  five  pounds,  eighteen  shil- 
lings, six  pence,  were  paid  also  ;  with  forty 
pounds  to  Mrs.  Moody,  to  enable  her  to  go 
into  mourninii; ;  fifteen  pounds  to  Rev. 
Joseph  Moody,  the  son  ;  and  ten  pounds  to 
Mrs.  Tmerson,  of  ^Maiden,  the  daughter  of 
M  r.  Moody.  '•  in  addition,  to  what  they  have 
been  allowed,  to  put  themselves  in  mourning 
at  their  discretion."  Also  the  physicians'  bills 
of  Drs.  John  Swett,  John  V\']iitney,  and  Dr. 
Sargent,  for  medicine  and  attendance  during 
the  last  illness  of  Mr.  bloody,  amounting  to 
twenty-six  pounds,  seven  shillings,  were 
ordered  to  be  pai.l  by  tlie  parish.  ^ladam 
Moody,  the  relict  of  Rev.  Samuel  ]Moody, 
had  provision  made  for  her  support  yearly, 
but,  in  view  of  her  advanced  age,  she  was 


114      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

allowed,    from    1761-64,    five  pounds   addi- 
tional each  year. 

In  1769  "  singing  was  permitted  to  the 
lower  floor,  if  persons  occupying  the  desig- 
nated pews  fit  them  up  at  their  own  ex- 
pense." The  singer's  seats  were  at  first 
below  on  one  side  of  the  centre  or  broad 
aisle,  but  afterwards  they  were  in  the  gallery 
on  the  south  side,  fronting  the  pulpit.  The 
*' deacons'  seats"  were  directly  in  front  of  the 
pulpit,  fiicing  the  congregation.  Hymn- 
books,  in  those  days,  were  a  scarce  com- 
modity, and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  deacon  to 
*'  line,"  ^^  or  retail  out  the  hymn,  as  it  was 

*  This  was  congregational  singing,  for  all  joined 
in  that  part  of  the  worship  whether  singers  or  not. 
There  is  a  story  of  a  deacon  (not  a  good  scholar, 
and  probahly  hungry)  who  made  a  ludicrous  mis- 
take.    The  concluding  line  being 

"The  Eastern  S:iges  sliall  eoine  in,  willi  messages  of  grace;" 

he  read  it  thus  : 

"  TJie  Easteni  stages  shall  coi))e  in,  with  sasginrjrrs  and  greaat "  / 


Modern  Town  of  York.  115 


then  called  ;    which  was,  to   read  and  sing  a 
line  alternately. 

Previous  to  1825,  no  idea  of  warming  the 
huge  structure  seems  to  have  entered  the 
minds  of  any  one  ;  and  in  cold  weather  people 
muffled  themselves  up  as  well  as  they  could, 
taking  their  foot-stoves  to  keep  themselves 
comfortable.  The  main  entrance,  or  porch, 
was  on  the  side  next  the  street,  and  facing 
the  cemetery  ;  there  was  another  door  also 
■where  the  present  pul})it  now  stands.  The 
old  pulpit  was  on  the  north  side ;  a  very  large 
arched  window  was  directly  behind  the  seat 
of  the  preacher,  which  seemed  admirably 
adapted  to  keep  him  cool,  especially  in  win- 
ter, if  the  upholsterer  had  not  vouchsafed  an 
immensely  he  ivy  green  damask  curtain,  from 
the  centre  of  which  was  suspended  a  huge 
tassel.  The  house  was  remodelled  in  1830, 
the  expense  paid  by  subscription,  and  the 
interior  modernized.  It  originally  had  gal- 
leries on    three    sides,   and    on    the  remain- 


1(5       Ancient  C'lfy  of  Gorgeana. 


ing  side  a  high  pulpit,  over  Avhich  hung  a 
sounding-board  ;  high  square  pews,  in  which 
the  occupants  sat  facing  in  every  direction, 
on  seats  all  around  the  pew,  except  a  space 
left  for  the  door,  and  on  chairs,  with  which 
the  pows  were  furnished. 

During  the  war  the  cost  of  living  and 
prices  for  all  commodities  were  very  much 
enhanced,  and  the  currency  greatly  depre- 
ciated. To  meet  this  change  in  valuations, 
the  parish  made  grants  from  year  to  year  over 
and  above  the  minister's  stated  salary,  till 
1790'.  A  lightning-rod  on  the  church  wa;? 
first  recommended  and  ordered  to  be  put  up 
in  1792.  When  or  by  whom  the  first  bell 
was  procured,  the  records  do  not  mention. 
There  is  a  locality  in  town  known  as  *'  Bell 
3Iarsli^''  being  land  formerly  granted  the 
parish.  It  is  said  that  it  was  sold  to  raise 
funds  to  purchase  the  first  bell.  No  doubt 
is  entertained  of  the  truth  of  the  tradition. 

There  was  a  bell  on  the  church  prior  to 


Modern  Town  of  YorJc,  117 


1747,  for,  at  a  meeting  holdcn  September  20, 
1744,  it  was  voted,  "  to  take  down  the  bell, 
and  hang  it  upon  crotches,  or  anything  else 
erected  for  that  purpose."'      This  was  before 
the  present  house  was  built.   March  31,  1749, 
voted,  that  "  the  assessors  take  care  and  hang 
the  bell  in   the  steeple  of  the  new   meeting- 
house, at  the  charge  of  the  parish,"  —  un- 
doubtedly the  bell  referred  to  above.     March 
25,  1788,  a  bell  was  ordered  to  be  procured, 
not  exceeding  four  hundred  pounds.     August 
27,   1821,    voted,    "to  choose    a    committee 
to    dispose    of    the    old    bell,    the    proceeds 
to    be    applied    to    the    purchase   of    a    new 
one."'      Captain  David  Wilcox,  Jonathan  S. 
Barren,  Jr.,  and  Edward  A.  Emerson  were 
chosen ;     also,  voted,   •'  that  said   committee 
draw    on     the    treasurer    of    the    parish    for 
the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars,  and  act  in 
conjunction    with  a    comm'Ltee   of  the  sub- 
scribers, for  a  new   bell,  and  make  the  pur- 
chase of  the   same  as  soon  as  may  be,  and 


118      Ancient  City  of  Oorgeana, 

place  the  same  securely  in  the  belfry."  In 
1834,  a  parish  meeting  was  called  "  to  take 
into  consideration,  with  the  general  consent 
of  the  subscribers,  the  expediency  of  return- 
ing tho  bell,"  and  ''  of  procuring  one  of  larger 
size  and  weight,  provided  individuals  would 
s  -.bscribc  money  towards  procuring  a  larger 
one,  and  all  incidental  charges  towards 
placing  the  same  securely  in  the  belfry." 
The  present  bell  is  the  third  or  fourth  one. 

In  1798,  after  being  incorporated,  Edward 
Emerson,  Colcmcl  Esaias  Preble,  and  Daniel 
Sewall  were  the  first  trustees  of  parish  fund. 
Edward  Emerson,  Jr.,  Judge  David  Sewall,* 

*  The  origin  of  the  Sewnlls  in  York  is  as  fol- 
lows :  Two  brothers,  Nicholas  and  Samuel  Sewall, 
came  here  about  the  year  1708.  from  Newbury, 
Mass. ;  tliey  both  married  sisters,  daughters  of 
Samuel  Storer,  wlio  came  to  Wells  from  Charles- 
town,  Mass.  These  brothers  Sewall  were  sons 
of  John  Sewall,  of  Newbury.  From  Samuel 
descended  several  eminent  men,  such  as  Judge 
David,  Professor  Henry,  and  the  great  mechanic 


Modern  Town  of  York.  11? 


and  Samuel  Scwall,  were  chosen  trustees  of 
fund  in  1803,  for  five  years  ensuing.  The 
pari  h  paid  the  funeral  expenses  of  Rev. 
Isaac  Lyman,  in  1810,  and  set  his  grave- 
stones. 

The  parsonage  lands,  in  the  lower  parish, 
originally  comprised  a  strip  extending  from 
"Little  Pviver"  to  the  Parish  Creek,  which 
was  about  a  mile  running  north  and  south, 
and  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide.  It  seems 
to  have  been  customary  to  squat  on  the  par- 
sonage lands,  and  thus  much  of  it  passed 
into  the  possession  of  others,  or  was  leased, 
after  possession  had   been  taken,  for  a  very 

who  constructed  Sewall's  Briilge,  etc.,  Msijor 
Samuel.  From  the  above  Nicholas  sprang  Rev. 
Jotham  Sewall,  and  a  long  line  of  ministers  of  the 
Congregational  order,  he  being  the  grandfather  of 
the  father  of  the  present  Congregational  minis- 
ter, Kev.  David  Sewall.  Tlie  original  Samuel 
Sewall  resided  on  the  south  side  of  the  river; 
Nicholas,  on  the  spot  where  the  tan-yard  formerly 
was,  near  the  house  of  Mr.  William  Lunt. 


/ 
120      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana,  I 

paltry  sum.  For  instance :  the  house  lot 
originally  built  by  Edward  Emerson,  Jr., — 
long  occupied  by  Bulkley  Emerson,  then  by 
Capt.  David  Wilcox,  and  at  the  present  .time 
by  his  daughter,  the  Avidow  of  Capt.  William 
E.  Putnam,  —  was  leased  for  two  dollars  and 
sixty-seven  cents  per  year:  the  quarter  of  an 
acre  occupied  by  Madam  (widow  of  Isaac) 
Lyman  (now  by  William  Allen),  after  her 
death,  was  to  be  five  dollars  per  year,  but 
free  during  her  life,  and  so  on.  The  lease  to 
Emerson  is  for  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine 
years ;  that  to  Lyman,  for  five  hundred  years. 
Mr.  Lyman,  however,  was  no  squatter.  His 
lot  was  leased  to  him  March  27,  1787,  he 
being  then  resident  pastor.  This  was  un- 
doubtedly done  to  secure  to  his  widow  and 
nMmerous  family  a  home  in  case  of  his  death, 
as  the  parsonage  would  be  required  for  his 
successor.     A  good  forethought  ! 

The  east  liuL'  of  the  parsonage  land  was 
close  to  tlic  end  of  the  Sargent  houi^e  —  next 
the   common  —  and    then   ran   northerly   to 


Moderm  Toivn  of  TorJc.  121 


LiUU'  lliver.  The  lot  avIutc  the  Aiulrew  Sar- 
oTut  house  stands  ^vas  -ranted  by  the  tcnvn 
to  Alexander  Tullman,  a  physician,  on  con- 
dition that  he  settled  in  town  and  practiced 
medicine.  After  passing  this  lot,  it  run-^  in 
a  straight  line  to  Little  lliver.  In  th.'  rear 
of  the  Ikillman  lot,  it  was  encroached  upon 
by  one  Norton  Woodbridge,  who  owned  the 
property  which  was  aftenvards  in  the  pos- 
session  of  Judge  Sewall ;  and  although  the 
parish  voted  repeatedly  to  prosecute  ^^'ood- 
bridge  and  recover  the  land  which  he  had 
taken  from  them,  yet  it  was  never  done. 

The  Foll(j  Field — so  called,  on  account  of 
the  "folly"  of  the  parish  in  allowing  AVood- 
bridge  to  get  and  keep  possession — came 
out  of  the  parish  land,  and  was  owned  by 
Judge  Sewall  at  the  time  of  his  death.  The 
Xicholas  Sewall  lot  (now  oc-cupied  by  the 
heirs  of  Skipper  Lunt)  was  also  granted  to 
Sewall  by  the  town,  before  the  grant  to  the 
parish;  so  lie  was  no  scjuattcr.  The  Hugh 
Ilolman  lot  (wliercthe  heirs  of  J)octor  Caleb 


Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana* 


Kastman  now  reside)  was  sold  to  him  b}'  the 
parish,  although  he  was  a  squatter  at  first. 
The  jail  lot  was  leased  by  the  parish  to  the 
county  for  one  hundred  years,  in  1812,  or  so 
long  as  used  for  a  jail.  The  jail  having  been 
abandoned  by  the  county,  the  land  has  re- 
verted to  the  parish.  The  county  has  sold 
the  jail  building  to  the  town  recently,  as  also 
its  rights  in  the  town-house,  which  also 
stands  on  land  owned  by  the  parish. 

In  regard  to  licenses :  i)ermission  of  the 
parish  committee,  with  the  consent  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Lyman,  Avas  given  Kliakim  drover,  tailor, 
and  Moses  Saflbrd,  barber,  to  erect  shops 
upon  parish  land,  for  their  occupation ;  they 
must  be  of  the  same  size,  and  six  or  eight 
feet  apart.  They  were  small  one-storied 
buildings,  and  stood  at  the  foot  of  "Jail 
Hill,"  directly  opposite  the  Sargent  Mansion. 
One  of  them  was  used  for  a  "recruiting 
oflice"  in  the  war  of  1812.  In  1825,  a  lot 
behind  the  ju'csent  town-house  was  leased 
the  State  for  the  erection  of  a  ^un-house. 


3Tod€rn  Town  of  York,         123 


LOREXZO    D  )"VV PHYSICIANS. 

An  itinerant  preacher  by  this  name,  cele- 
brated for  his  eccentricity  of  manners,  and 
who,  contrary  to  the  f  ishion  in  those  days, 
wore  a  very  long  and  full  beard,  bearing 
a  marked  resemblance  to  the  Wandering 
Jew,  prcac;:ed  once  in  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  it  was  his  invariable  prac- 
tice, as  soon  as  his  sermon  was  finished, 
to  jump  out  of  the  "  pulpit  window,"  and 
disappear.  He  did  so  in  this  instance. 
His  n;)toriety  or  popularity  always  attracted 
large  audiences,  and  his  reason  for  making 
an  exit  in  so  summary  a  manner  was  to 
escape  the  importunities  and  questionings 
of  a  gaping  crowd.  He  Avas  born  in 
Coventry,  Conn.,  October  IG,  1777.  It  is 
said  that  during  the  ihirty-eight  years  of  his 
ministry  he  travelled  in  this  and  foreign 
countiies  two  hundred  thousand  miles.  He 
commenced  prea  hing  when  he  was  nineteen 


124      Arte' cut  Clttj  of  Gorj?cnict. 


yoars  (if  v^q  Tho  f')llon'iiujj  is  from  the  jour- 
nal cf  a  i'li-.n  r  resid'^n*"  cf  this;  town,  writte'i 
in  18'2  <  :  •'  Wrnt  to  hear  Rev.  Lorenzo  Dow 
]  reach  :  lie  (^xhort  d  fVom  thos^  words  :  To  he 
(•fir,!a'  )iiii-'^J  ■  f  ).'■■  fJ.'i/:!  ;  Jirl  lo  he  ^pirifiinl 
r:}i:i(':'l  ,'.•;  /'".'  a-d  p'^-icc.  lie  said  much 
about  (.'le  rai.id  of  r.ian.  a;.d  that  his  actions 
wd'c  an  iudf^-;  (A'  it  His  s'^'mon  \\as  dis- 
jointed, a.nd  drawn  from  nnmcrous  texts,  as 
follows:  T.'f  /  i:d;.fhc  Jhr,,  aud  the  D'^uil. 
To  b^'fnn,  1  sha.U  speak  of  the  lusts,  pass 
lijThlly  over  tiie  {les!i,  and  hasten  as  quickly 
as  ])ossiblc  on  to  the  Devil  Mroi  /.-;  JfCrn 
int')  fro'Jhc  f;f;  iJic  spro'L'y,  Jl>/  upwcrd!  I 
shall  divide  my  discourse  inio  and  confine  it 
under,  tiie  folbwin'T  heads  :  Fir.  t,  man's  in- 
gress inro  the  world.  Second,  his  jn-ogrcss 
through  the  world,  'ihird.  his  egress  out  of 
the  world. 

'Firs',  man  eo.iies  int)  llu- world  nidced  and  bare; 
Second,  Ills  projr.-i-ss  tlu'ouu'i  it  is  lroiil»K  and  caro  ; 
I'iiird.  lie  ;li()l'-<  oat  of  it  iio'iody  knows  wlierc' 

''  To  conclude,  or  lastly, 


Modern  Town  of  York,  12o 

'  If  you    flo    well  liere,  you  will  fare  well  when 

there ; 
I  can  tell  you  no  more,  if  I  preach  a  whole  year.'  " 

He  published  u  book  of  his  travels  and  mirac- 
lIous  adventures,  and  since  his  decease,  his 
widow,  PefT:g;y  Dow,  has  made  additions  to  it. 
Mr.  Dow  died  at  Georgetown,  D.  C,  Feb.  2, 
1834,  aged  fifty-seven.  He  was  no  relative 
of  Rev.  iSfoses  Dow,  as  many  have  supposed. 
Next  to  ministers,  physicians  occupy  a 
large  portion  of  the  regard  of  communities. 
Among  those  mentioned  first  in  town,  were 
Doctors  Bennett,  John  Swett,--"  Job  Lyman 

*  John  and  Jo^epll  Swett  have  heen  confounded 
as  one  and  the  same  person,  but  were  probably 
brothers.  Dr.  John  floui islied  i):ior  to  174-1:,  and 
wa^  a  man  of  notu  ii  p.ari  li  and  town  aff'.iirs.  He 
re.sided  on  Swctt"s  Point,  ju.-t  behind  the  Marshall 
House.  The  old  doniieiie  in  which  he  lived  is 
still  standing.  Joseph  Swctt  llourisliLd  about  the 
same  lime.  lie  was  one  of  a  committee  appointed 
by  the  church  to  obtain  materials  fu/  the  meeting- 
liuusf  buili  in  1747. 


126      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

(brother  of  Rev.  Isaac),  Josiah  Oilman,* 
Samuel  W.  Baker,  Caleb  Eastman,  |  Jere- 
miah S.  Putnam,  etc.  Doctor  William  God- 
dard,  of  Portsmouth,  practised  as  a  physician 
a  while  in  York,  about  the  years  1822-3. 

Doctor  William  Lyman,  contemporary  with 
Doctor  Oilman,  lived  in  the  house  now  owned 
and  occupied  by  Mrs.  Stephen  Oraut.  His 
daughter,  Narcissa,  married  Rev.  Eber  Car- 
penter, and  has  lately  deceased.  The  family 
are  buried  in  a  corner  of  Grant's  fie^.d. 

In  tho-ie  days  doctors  did  not  ride  in  vehi- 
cles, as  at  the  present  time,  but  on  horse- 
back, carrying  their  medicines  in  saddle-bags. 
Doctor  Lyman  kept  three,  and  Doctor  Oilman 
two  horses,  and  thus  they  trotted  through  life, 
for  no  one  ever  sa\s^  them  go  faster  than  a 
dog-trot. 

*  Dr.  Gilninn  died  in  tlie  year  18o9.  Tlie  name 
in  York  is  now  extinct. 

t  Dr.  Eastman's  ])raotice  in  York  extended  over 
a  period  of  nearly  forty  years.  He  died  May  13, 
1872,  aged  seventy-nine. 


3Iofl<i  n  Town  of  Yorfc, 


IT.'H'i  KA\C1-:     CUSTOMS     NOW    LXTINCT. 

Ill  eaily  ti  ucs  rum  was  a  common  hevcr- 
a<i;c,  and  was  considered  a  necessary  auxiliary 
at  all  ship-laun  liings,  in  the  proportion  of 
one  barrel  for  the  men,  a  barrel  of  wine  being 
provided  for  the  ladies.  At  huskings,  log- 
gings, raftings,  and  raisings,  its  presence  was 
thought  to  be  indispensable.  Into  even  more 
solemn  assemblies  it  was  admitted.  Before 
the  advent  of  hearses,  the  coffin  was  carried 
on  a  hier,  on  men's,  or,  in  case  of  a  child,  on 
boy's  shoulders  to  the  grave,  and  the  bearers 
were  always  invited  to  return  to  the  house, 
and  partake  of  refreshments  of  a  liquid  char- 
acter. In  a  bill  of  expenses  incurred  at  an 
ordination,  is  a  charge  for  "  eight  quarts  of 
rum  and  two  quarts  of  brandy  for  the  clergy 
and  council  :"  and  at  a  funeral  was  a  bill  for 
"  five  gallons  of  rum,  ten  pounds  of  sugar, 
and  half  a  pound  of  allspice,  for  the  mourn- 
ers "  /     Lord  Byron  appropriately  sings  : 


128       ^indent  €Ui/  of  Gorgeana, 

"  There  's  naught  so  nmcli  the  spirit  clieers, 
As  rum  and  true  religion." 
1 

INDIAN     RAID    AT    CAPE    NEDDICK. 

In  1676,  the  Indians  assaulted  the  settle- 
ment of  Cape  Neddock,  where  they  killed 
and  carried  away  all  the  inhabitants,  amount- 
ing to  about  forty  persons,  and  unusual  cru- 
elties were  practised  upon  the  people. 

MAINE    SOLI)    To    MASSAeilUSETTS. 

King  Charles  II  ,  in  1676,  confirmed  tne 
right  of  the  lieirs  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges 
"  both  as  to  soil  and  government,"  and  they 
relinquished  to  Massacliusetts  all  those  rights 
and  titles  to  the  Province  of  Maine,  for  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  ]30unds. 
This  offended  the  king,  who  claimed  the  first 
right  to  purchase  ;  but  Massachusetts  refused 
to  com])ly  witli  their  wishes,  and  assunrd 
complete  jurisdiction  over  it.      A  court  was 


Modern  Town  of  York,  129 

established,  the  first  one  held  under  Massa- 
chusetts, March  17,  1680,  at  York,  and 
Thomas  Danforth  appointed  president.  At 
the  commencement  of  the  session  of  1683, 
Rev.  Sliubael  Dummer  preached  the  election 
sermon,  as  it  was  called. 

YORK    YETEKAXS. 

Benjamin  Simpson,  of  this  town,  assisted 
in  the  destruction  of  the  tea  in  Boston  har- 
bor, December,  1773.  He  was  then  an 
apprentice  to  a  bricklayer,  and  nineteen 
years  of  age.  He  was  also  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  York,  according  to  Wil- 
liamson's History,  and  other  authorities,  had 
the  honor  of  putting  the  first  soldiers  into 
the  field  from  Elaine.  In  the  Provincial 
Congress,  in  session  1774-5,  Daniel  Bragdon 
was  chosen  delegate  from  York.  The  select- 
men, at  the  commencement  of  the  war,  were 
Dr.  John  Swctt,  Edmund  Grow,  Joseph 
Grant,  Samuel  Harris,  and  Jeremiah  Weare. 


130      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

CRIMINAL    COURT DEYIL's    INVENTION. 

At  a  court  held  in  York,  July,  1679,  tlie 
following  cr  minal  case  was  tried :  James 
Adams,  of  York,  became  affronted  with  one 
of  his  nei  ,hl)ors,  Henry  Simpson,  and  deter- 
mined tj  avenge  Inmself  upon  two  of  Simp- 
sons  children,  whose  ages  were  six  and  nine 
yea:s.  His  contrivance  and  crime  were  as 
satanical  as  they  were  deliberate.  In  a  soli- 
tary place,  four  or  five  miles  from  the  dwell- 
ing-houses of  the  inhabitants,  he  built  of  logs 
beside  a  ledge  of  perpendicular  rocks  a  pen 
or  pound,  several  feet  in  height,  with  walls 
inclined  inward  from  bottom  to  top.  After 
he  had  built  this,  he  decoyed  the  children 
into  the  woods  und'^r  a  pretence  of  searching 
for  birds*  nests,  and  caused  them  to  enter 
M'ithin  the  p  und,  where  he  Lft  tiiem  con- 
fined, to  perish  of  famine.  The  place  has 
since  been  called  the  DcviVs  Invention. 
The    children    were    soon    missed,    and    the 


Modern  Town  of  York.  131 

alarmed  inhabitants  searched  for  theia  more 
than  forty-eight  hours.  The  boys,  when 
aware  of  their  wretched  situation,  made 
various  attempts  to  get  out,  and  at  lengtli,  by 
digging  away  with  their  hands  the  surface 
of  the  earth  underneath  one  of  the  bottom 
logs,  effected  their  escape.  They  wandered 
in  the  woods  three  days,  being  at  last 
attracted  to  the  sea-shore  by  the  noise  of  the 
surf,  where  they  were  found.  The  depraved 
criminal  was  condemned  to  have  thirty 
stripes  well  laid  on  ;  to  pay  the  father  of  the 
children  five  pounds,  the  treasurer  ten 
pounds,  besides  fees  and  charges  of  the 
prison,  and  remain  a  close  prisoner  durinc^ 
the  court's  pleasure,  or  till  further  order. 
The  same  month  he  recognized  before  two 
of  the  Associates,  "  conditioned  to  send  him, 
within  twenty-one  days,  out  of  the  juris- 
diction."' 


132      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 


SAINT    ASPINQUID. 

This  is  the  name  of  the  saint  or  hero  thus 
held  in  profound  veneration  by  the  aboriginal 
inhabitants  throughout  Maine,  who  are 
known  to  have  been  Indians,  both  in  a  reli- 
gious and  warlike  distinction.  His  sanctity 
was  well  established  among  them  ;  yet  who 
he  was,  or  why  he  deserved  these  honors,  is 
a  profound  mystery.  Some  deny  that  he 
ever  existed,  and  reduce  his  effigy  to  a  mere 
symbol  of  victory  or  conquest;  but  even  of 
what  that  is,  the  answer  itself  would  become 
a  doubtful  solution  of  doubtf  J  doubts ! 
Indian  tradition,  transmitted  from  age  to  age, 
and  from  tribe  to  tribe,  informs  us  this 
patron  saint  of  theirs  lived  and  died  on 
Mount  Agamcnticus,  in  1G82,  and  that  his 
funeral  was  celebrated  by  the  Indians  with  a 
sacrifice  of  six  thousand  five  hundred  and 
eleven  wild  animals. 


Modern  Tiiwn  of  YorJc.         133 


AVITCIIES     AND    WITCHCRAFT. 

We    have    no  record  of   a  conviction    for 
withcraft  in  this   town,   although  in  a  few 
instances  slight  symptoms  of  the  infection  of 
that  age  that  afflicted  Salem,  Massachusetts, 
were  manifested,  but  oozed  out  into  religious 
creeds  and  schisms.     A  colony  ordinance  was 
passed   against   witchcraft   in   1G4G,  but  old 
women,  who  were  the  principal  victims,  did 
not  appear  to  heed  it.     Wizards  were  in  a 
small  minority.     Only  one  case  is  recorded 
in   Maine  :    that  of  George  Burroughs,  whc 
preached    in    Falmouth,  now    Portland,  be- 
tween   1685    and    1690,  and    sometimes    at 
W^ells  and  other  places.    Very  little  is  known 
of  him;    but    he    was    born    somewhere    in 
Essex  County,  Mass.     What  his    education 
was,  or  where  he  acquired    it,  is    not    now 
known.      Governor  Hutchinson's  account  of 
him  is,  "  that  he  was  sometimes  a  preacher 
in  Wells;"  and,  according  to  other  authori- 


134      Ancient  City  of  Govgeana, 

ties,  perhaps  there  is  no  doubt  of  it.  The 
ceHar  of  his  house  was  seen  after  the  year 
1770,  south  of  Rev.  Dr.  Dean's  church. 

When  Fahn  )uth  ^^■as  attacked  and  sacked 
by  the  Indians,  in  1G90,  Burroughs  made  his 
escape  and  fled  to  Danvers,  where  he  resided 
in  1692.  He  was  a  man  of  bad  character, 
and  of  a  cruel  disposition.  In  the  year  last 
mentioned,  he  was  indicted  for  ^^■itchcraft, 
and  tried  at  Salem,  before  Judges  Sewall  and 
Hawthorne.  A  synopsis  of  the  indictment 
against  him  for  which  he  sufl'ered  the  penalty 
of  his  life  is  as  follows  :  On  the  9th  day  of 
May,  in  the  fourth  year  of  the  reign  cf  Wil- 
liam and  ^Nlary,  he  practised  certain  detest- 
able arts,  called  witchcrafts  and  sorceries, 
up  n  ^lary  AValkot,  of  Salem,  ]Mass., 
whereby  she  was  a'wicted,  pinched,  tortured, 
and  tormented,  and  became  consumid,  pined, 
an. I  wasted,  against  the  statutes  and  peace 
of  the  sovereign  lord  and  lady  the  King  and 
Queen  of  Englanl,  Ireland,  ainl  Scotland. 


3Iodern  Town  of  Tori,.  135 

On  the  trial,  tA'o  witnesses  testified  thus  : 
"  Wishing  Burroughs's  presence  in  Dover, 
X.  H.  [to  preach,  probably],  we  called  at  liis 
home,  and  fo'ind  him  engaged  in  building  a 
Virginia  fence  of  huge  logs,  which  he  han- 
dled to  our  astonishment.  He  wished  to 
complete  a  certain  amount  that  day,  and 
requested  us  to  wait  for  him  to  do  it,  and 
then  he  would  go  off  witli  us  ;  and  this  exhi- 
bition of  his  strength  confirmed  it  in  our 
ininds  that  he  was  hewitched  !  After  Bur- 
roughs had  finished  his  work  we  went  into 
the  house,  and  Burrouglis  too^c  down  from 
over  the  chimney-piece  a  queen's  arm  [an 
old-fashioned  fiiut-lock  musket,  about  seven 
feet  lo'^g,  weighing  over  sixteen  pounds], 
put  his  finger  into  the  muz/le,  and  held  it  out 
straight :  and,  though  he  said  an  Indian 
did  the  same,  none  of  us  could  recollect  an 
Indian  was  present,  and  we  supposed  the 
being  must  have  been  the  black  man  or  the 


loG       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

devil,  Mho  they  swore  they  had  no  doubt 
looks  like  the  devil. 

"  He  was  placed  on  a  horse,  with  a  man 
on  horseback  each  side  of  him.  The  three, 
botV.  men  and  horses,  on  starting,  seemed  to 
leave  terra  Jir ma,  and  mount  and  'go  through 
the  air  with  the  greatest  of  case,'  amid  a  ter- 
rific tempest  of  rain  and  wind,  accompanied 
by  lightning  and  thunder,  and  did  not  touch 
the  earth  again  until  the  neighborhood  of 
Cocheco  river,  near  Dover,  N.  H.,  was 
reached." 

He  was  also  charged  with  carrying  a  bar- 
rel of  cider  from  a  canoe  to  the  shore,  raising 
it  with  his  hands  to  a  level  with  his  face, 
and  drinking  out  of  the  buiig-hole  ;  and  with 
cruelty  to  his  wives. 

Samuel  Webber  affirmed,  "  that  about 
seven  or  eight  years  before  that  time,  he 
lived  at  Casco  Bay.  Geoige  Burroughs  was 
then  minister  there,  and  having  heard  much 
of  his   great  strength  and  remarkable  feats, 


Modern  Toivn  of  York.  137 

and  tlie  said  lliuTOughs  came  to  his  house 
and  told  me  he  had  j  .st  p  t  his  finji^crs  into 
a  barrel  filled  with  molasses,  and  lifted  it  up, 
and  carried  it  round  him,  and  set  it  down 
again." 

Susannah  Sheldon  testified  that  "  Bur- 
roughs took  me  up  on  a  high  mountain  and 
showed  me  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth, 
and  offered  to  give  them  to  me  if  I  Avould 
write  in  his  book,  and  said  he  would  throw 
me  down  and  break  my  neck  if  I  would  not ; 
and  told  me  he  kept  the  devil  as  a  servant 
in  his  service." 

Three  other  bills  were  found  against  him 
by  the  grand  jury,  one  of  which  was  ibr 
practising  upon  one  Ann  Putnam,  who  testi- 
fied as  follows  : 

*'0n  the  8th  of  May,  1692,  I  saw  the 
ap])arition  of  Burroughs,  who  had  grievously 
tortured  me,  and  had  urged  me  to  write  in 
liis  book,  which  I  r  fused.  Then  he  told  me 
that  his  two  wives   woul  I   presently  appear 


138       Ancient  iJlttj  of  Govgcana, 

to  me,  and  tell  me  a  great  many  lies,  but  I 
must  not  believe  them.  Then  immediately 
appeared  to  me  the  forms  of  two  women  in 
winding-sheets,  and  napkins  about  their 
heads, ,  at  which  I  was  greatly  affrighted. 
They  turned  their  faces  towards  Burroughs, 
and  loolved  very  red  and  angry,  and  told  him 
that  he  had  been  very  cruel  to  them,  and  that 
their  blood  cried  for  vengeance  against  him  ; 
and  also  told  him  that  they  should  b^  clothed 
with  white  robes  in  heaven,  when  he  should 
be  cast  down  into  hell,  and  he  immediately 
vanished  away.  As  soon  as  he  was  gone 
the  two  women  turned  their  faces  towards 
me  and  looked  as  pale  as  a  white  wall,  and 
said  they  were  Burroughs' s  first  wives,  and 
that  he  had  murdered  them.  And  one  told 
me  she  was  his  first  wife y.  and  he  stabbed  her 
under  the  left  breast,  and  put  a  piece  of  seal- 
ing-wax in  the  wound,  and  she  pulled  aside 
her  winding-sheet  and  showed  me  the  place ; 
and  ulso  said  she  was  in   the  house  where 


Modem  Town  of  York.         139 

Mr.  Paris  ''•'  then  lived  when  it  was  done. 
The  other  woman  told  me  that  Buiroughs 
and  a  wife  he  had  now,  killed  her  in  the  ves- 
sel as  she  was  coming  to  see  her  friends  from 
the  eastward,  because  they  would  have  one 
another :  and  they  both  charged  me  to  tell 
these  things  to  the  magistrates,  before  Bur- 
ro ghss  faco,  and  if  he  did  not  own  them, 
they  did  not  know  but  that  they  should 
ajipear.  This  morning  Mrs.  Lawson  and  her 
daugliter  told  me  that  Burroughs  murdered 
them;  and  about  the  same  time  another 
woman  appeared  to  me  in  a  winding-sheet, 
and  told  me  she  was  Goodman  Fuller's  first 
witb,  and  that  Burroughs  killed  her  because 
there  was  a  difTerence  between  her  husband 
and  him.  Also  on  the  9th  of  May,  during 
the  time  of  his  examination,  he  did  most 
grievously    torment     ^lary     Walkot,     Mercy 

♦  Tills  was  llcv.  Mr.  Paris,  of  Danvers,  Mass., 
who  first  set  on  foot  the  matter  of  prosecuting  for 
witchcraft. 


140       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

Lewis,  Elizabeth  Hubbard,  and  Abigail 
Williams,  by  choking,  pricking,  and  punch- 
ing them." 

There  was  some  other  evidence  to  cor- 
roborate this.  Burroughs  was  found  guilty 
on  all  the  indictments,  and  was  executed  in 
Salem,  Mass. 

This  extraordinary  delusion  was  not  con- 
fined to  the  old  Colony  of  Massachusetts 
at  that  time,  but  was  felt  in  Europe.  In 
both  countries  many  innocent  people  suf- 
fered an  ignominious  death,  and  there  can 
be  no  doubt  but  that  the  jieople  who 
appeared  to  be  tortured  were  possessed  by 
evil  spirits  of  some  kind  or  other  ;  nor  have 
we  any  reason  to  question  that  there  was 
some  extraordinary  cause,  from  the  state 
of  the  atmosphere  or  something  else,  which 
operated  on  the  imagination  and  nerves  of  the 
judges,  and  on  the  pcopl  >  at  large,  depriving 
them  in  a  great  measure  of  their  rational 
faculties. 


Modern  Town  of  Vovk,  141 


If  Bnrroupjhs  had  remained  at  his  home  in 
M-iine,  he  might  have  fallen  a  victim  to  the 
savages  ;  but  it  is  thought  he  never  would 
have  been  executed  for  witchcraft,  and  the 
reason  assigned  at  the  time  was  :  "  ]]ecause 
there  never  was  a  prosecution  for  that  crime 
eastward  of  the  Piscataqua  river." 

DEI:D    of    YORK. 

In  1G84,  Thomas  Danforth,  in  behalf  of 
the  Governor  and  Council  of  Massachusetts, 
deeded  to  Major  John  Davis,  Edward  Rish- 
worth.  Captain  Job  Alcock,  and  Lieut.  Abra- 
ham Preble,  trustees  in  behalf  of  the  town, 
all  land  in  town  granted  to  it  by  Sir  Ferdi- 
n-mdo  Gorges,  thus  giving  the  town  the 
right  to  dispose  of  the  commons  or  ungranted 
lands  in  the  manner  it  saw  fit.  The  consid- 
eration was,  that  each  family  was  to  pay  two 
or  three  shillings  annually  to  Massachusetts. 


142      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 


CHARTER    OF    MAINE. 

The  celebrated  charter  of  William  and 
Mar}^  dated  Oct.  7,  1091,  was  brought  from 
England  by  Sir  William  Phips.  the  first 
royal  governor,  and  went  into  operation  May 
14,  1692.  ,  It  embraced  the  whole  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  State  of  Maine,  in  two  great 
divisions :  one,  extending  from  the  Piscataqua 
to  the  Kennebec  rivers,  was  called  the  Prov- 
ince of  Maine ;  the  other,  including  all 
between  the  Kennebec  and  St.  Croix  rivers, 
was  usually  denominated  Sagadahock.  York 
was  in  the  first  division.  This  charter  also 
included  the  five  northerly  Isles  of  Shoals,  as 
embraced  in  Gorges' s  charter,  viz.  :  Apple - 
dore  or  Hog,  Cedar,  Duck,  Haley's  or 
Smutty-Nose,  and  Malaga  Islands. 

LEGISLATURE    OF    MAINE. 

The  legislative  power  was  vested  in  two 
distinct   branches,    each   having  a  negative 


Modern  Town  of  Torh,         143 

upon  the  other.  The  upper  house  was  called 
the  Council  or  Board  of  Assistants,  consist- 
ing of  twenty-eight  members ;  the  other  was 
the  House  of  Representatives. 

The  councillors  from  York,  "-were  Job 
Alcot  or  Alcock,  and  Samuel"  Donnell,  both 
of  whom  were  afterwards  justic'6s  eff  the  Su- 
perior or  Common  Pleas  Court.  Mr.  Alcot 
was  one  of  the  most  ancient,  substantial,  and 
wealthy  inhabitants  of  the  town-,  and"  had 
been  commander  of  the  militia  cdnipany 
twenty  years  before;  but  being  somewhat 
advanced  in  years,  he  was  nct'^r  rechosen 
to  the  council.  ^Ir.  Donncll  Svds  elected 
the  next  year,  and  once  subsequently.  He 
also  represented  the  town  two  yedrs  in  the 
House.  In  1692,  Jeremiah  Moulton  and 
M.  Turfrey  were  tlje  members  retametl  from 
York.  In  1G94,  William  Screven,  and  from 
Yoik  and  Wells  united,  Ezckiel  Rogers,  Jr. 
In  1698,  Abraham  i^-eble,  from  Yoik. 


Ui      Ancient  City  of  Ooroeana, 


YORK    ASSAILED. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  February  5,  1692, 
at  a  sif^nal  of  a  gun  fired,  the  town  was 
furiously  assaulted  at  different  places  by  a 
body  of  two  or  three  hundred  Indians,  led 
on  and  emboldened  by  several  Canadian 
Frenchmen,  all  of  them  having  taken  up 
their  march  on  snow-shoes.  The  surprise 
of  tliC  town  was  altogether  unexpected  and 
amazing,  and  consequently  the  more  fatal. 
A  scene  of  horrid  carnage  ensued,  and  in  one 
half  hour  more  than  one  hundred  and  sixty 
of  the  inhabitants  were  expiring  victims  or 
trembling  suppliants  at  the  feet  of  their 
enraged  enemies.  The  rest  took  refuge  in 
garrisoned  fortifications.  About  half  of  the 
inhabitants,  it  has  been  supposed,  were  slain 
or  carried  away  captive. •'" 

*  This  account  is  abridyred  from  WilHanison's 
History  of  Maine,  hut  occurred,  according  to  Sul- 
livan, in  his  Hivstory  of  Maine,  in  "January,  1692, 


3Ioflern  Town  of  York.  145 

The  massacre  in  York  and  the  burning  of 
the  town  wore  the  more  deeply  and  ex- 
tensively lamented,  because  of  the  antiquity 
and  preeminence  of  the  place,  and  especially 
of  the  excellent  character  of  the  people. 
Several  of  the  captives  taken  at  York  were 
afterwards  recovered,  in  the  course  of  the 
spring,  by  a  vessel  sent  for  the  purpose,  to 
Sagadahock. 

These  calamities  were  so  desolating  and 
discouraging,  that  those  remaining  had 
thoughts  of  abandoning  the  place  altogether ; 
but  a  few  remained,  though  suffering  under 
severe  privations  from  the  destruction  of 
almost  everything  that  could  give  them 
shelter  or  sustenance. 

There  were  four  houses  which  had  been 
garrisoned,  and  held  out  for  some  time.  To 
the  missionaries,  probably  French,  belongs 
the    responsibility    of    awakening    the    ani- 

and  the  town  was  entirelj'  destroyed,  fifty  killed, 
and  one  hundred  carried  into  captivity." 


146      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

mosity  of  the  Indians,  by  telling  them  the 
English  had  invaded  their  rights  in  occupy- 
ing theii  lands,  and.  in  establishing  new  set- 
tlements, mills,  and  especially  forts.  What 
at  the  same  time  helped  to  fan  and  feed  the 
fire,  was  a  rumor  tliat  there  were  apprehen- 
sions of  a  war  between  England  and  France. 
In  1700,  an  alarm  was  circulated  that  this 
and  the  adjoining  towns  were  to  be  visited 
by  neighboring  hostile  Indians,  and  prepara- 
tions for  defence  were  speedily  made.  Town 
watches  were  also  required,  by  statute,  to  be 
kept,  from  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  till 
morning.  The  citizens  being  once  disturbed 
by  this  panic,  nothing  could  fully  allay  their 
fears.  They  thought,  though  without  cause, 
that  the  frontiers  were  actually  infested  by 
these  hostile  barbarians.  Thirty  soldiers 
Mere  posted  at  York,  fifteen  at  Kittery, 
fifteen  at  Wells,  and  the  Legislature  allowed 
to  twelve  or  thirteen  men  in  the  county  of 
York  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  pounds 


Modern  Town  of  York,         147 

($685)  for  their  indefatigable  services  during 

the  kite  alarm. 

The  York  massacre  was  memorialized  in 
tlie  following  lines  : 

'*  They  marched  for  two  and  twenty  daies, 
All  througli  tlie  deepest  snow; 
And  on  a  dreadful  winter  morn 
Tliey  struck  the  cruel  blow. 

Hundreds  were  murthercd  in  their  beddos, 

Without  shame  or  remorse ; 
And  soon  the  floors  and  roads  were  strewed 

With  many  a  bleeding  corse. 

The  village  soon  began  to  blaze, 

To  heighten  misery's  woe  ; 
But  :0,  I  scarce  can  bear  to  tell  { 

The  issue  of  that  blow ! 

They  threw  the  infants  on  the  fire ; 

The  men  they  did  not  spare ; 
But  killed  all  which  they  could  find, 

Though  aged,  or  though  fair." 


148       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana* 

No  disturbance  took  j)lace  for  some  years, 
but  ill  1703  a  party  led  on  by  one  Sampson, 
an  overgrown  savage,  slew  the  family  of 
Arthur  Bragdon,  consisting  of  his  wife  and 
five  children,  and  carried  Mrs.  Hannah  Par- 
sons, a  widow  woman,  and  her  young  daugh- 
ter, into  captivity.  This  daughter  is  sup- 
posed to  be  the  girl  whom  the  savages,  on 
their  march,  in  1706,  being  short  of  provis- 
ions, and  unsuccessful  in  hunting,  prepared 
**•  a  fire  to  roast,  when  a  dog,  falling  in  their 
Avay,  supplied  the  child's  place."  After- 
wards another  party  made  their  appearance 
in  town,  and  slew  Matthew  Austin,  near  the 
garrison  at  Cape  Neddick,  and  not  bein^.; 
able  to  do  any  more  mischief,  visited  Ber- 
wick, and,  after  torturing,  burned  Joseph 
King  at  the  stake. 

Four  men  riding  in  company  witli  a  ^Irs. 
Littlefield,  on  the  road  between  York  and 
Wells,  were  waylaid,  August  10,  1703,  and 
all  slain  except  one,  who  hardly  escaped  the 


3fod€rn  Town  of  York,      '  140 

fate  of  the  otliers.  Mrs.  Littlefield  had  money 
to  the  amount  of  two  hundred  dollars  about 
her  person,  of  which  she  was  plundered  by 
the  same  bloody  hands. 

October  15,  1705,  a  party  of  eighteen 
Indians  rushed  from  the  woods  and  seized 
four  children  of  Mr.  Stover,  near  the  same 
garrison.  One,  being  too  young  to  travel, 
they  instantly  killed,  and  shortly  afterwards 
tortured  another  to  death,  out  of  retaliatory 
revenge,  according  to  savage  usage,  because 
one  of  their  assailants  was  shot  on  his  re- 
treat. Other  cruelties  were  practised,  such 
as  biting  off  the  children's  fingers,  and  to 
prevent  their  bleeding  searing  them  with 
red-hot  tobacco-pipes. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1710,  they  killed 
Benjamin  Preble,  of  York. 

The  year  1712  was  very  calamitous  all 
over  the  State,  about  twenty-six  being 
killed,  wounded,  and  taken  captive  in  York, 
Kittery,  and  Wells.     The   enemy  first    ap- 


150  -    Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 


pcared  at  York,  and  in  April  or  May  shot 
Samuel  Webber,  near  Cape  Neddick.  Every 
motion  and  movement  of  the  inhabit:mts 
seemed  to  be  under  the  ins;)e:tion  of  these 
1  .rking  malignant  foes.  A  negro  was  taken 
captive,  but  he  tjoon  escaped,  probably  by 
the  Indians'  consent,  for  they  had  a  mortal 
aversion  to  negroes. 

The  government  offered  bounties  for  every 
Indian  scalp ;  a  regular  soldier  was  paid  ten 
pounds ;  a  volunteer,  without  pay,  twenty 
pounds,  and  without  being  furnished  with 
rations  or  supplies,  fifty  pounds.  For  every 
Indian  scalped,  killed,  or  taken,  it  is  said  to 
have  cost  the  Provinco  over  one  thousand 
pounds. 

There  was  not  much  injury  done  during 
the  three  years'  war.  The  sea  defended  it 
on  one  side,  Kittery  on  another,  Wells  on 
the  third,  and  Berwick  by  that  time  had 
become  a  considerable  pi  .ntation,  with  sev- 
eral   farts    and    fortified    houses,    extending 


Modern  Town  of  York,         151 

itself  above  York  towards  the  wilderness. 
But  a  house  stood  where  the  parsonage  house 
has  since  stood,  which  had  a  picketed  fort  and 
bastions  round  it,  in  the  year  17-30,  and  the 
people  used  to  attend  public  worship  with 
fire-arms  in  their  hands  as  late  as  the  year 
174C.  But  a  war  lasting  three  years  is  as 
much  as  an  Indian  can  bear,  even  if  success 
attends  it.  Unsuccessful  as  they  wete,  their 
spirit  drooped,  and  they  made  overtures  of 
peace  to  the  whites. 

The  government  sent  Mr.  Lewis  Bane,  of 
York,  to  Sagadahock,  with  authority  to  make 
arrangements  for  negotiating  a  treaty. 

PROSCRIPTION    OF    NEGROES,  SLAVES,  AND 
INDIANS. 

The  want  of  efficient  civil  authority  within 
the  territory  naturally  enticed  and  introduced 
from  other  States  scallawags,  vagabonds, 
lewd  and  disorderly  persons,  and  fugitives 
from  justice. 


Ud       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeaud, 

Colored  people  increasing  in  numbers  all 
over  the  State,  in  York  they  had  become 
exceedingly  obnoxious  and  despicable.  A 
duty  of  four  pounds  (!$20),  therefore,  was 
exacted  and  required  to  be  paid  for  every 
negro  imp.rted ;  and  so  dopraved,  ignorant, 
and  shif ibss  were  the  slaves,  that  not  one 
of  them,  even  in  this  age  of  freedom  and 
equality,  might  be  manumitted,  unless  secu- 
rity was  first  given  for  his  maintenance.  All 
negroes  and  mulattoes  were  expressly  ex- 
cluded frjm  watches  and  military  duty,  as 
well  in  war  as  in  peace  ;  and  whoever  pre- 
sumed to  join  one  of  them  in  marriage  with 
a  white  person  incurred  a  heavy  penalty. 
Equally  great  was  the  general  antipathy 
against  Indians.  They  were  cruel,  degraded 
heathens,  ignorant,  lazy,  lousy,  and  revenge- 
ful ;  the  authors  of  accumulated  evils  to  all 
places  cursed  with  their  presence.  By  law, 
it  was  strictly  forbidden  to  bring  into  the 
Province  any  of  these  races,  either  as  slaves 


Modern  Town  of  Yorlc.  15o 

or  servants.     Yet  the  town  was  completely 
overrun  with  I  hem. 

For  security.  j)artics  of  niL'n  constantly 
S(:ourc:l  the  woods  in  quest  of  the  enemy,  bi 
with  no  great  success.  In  common  with  the 
rest  of  New  Englan  1,  ths  settlements  in 
Maine  were  filled  with  alarm  ;  even  business 
Avas  at  a  stand  ;  the  people,  deserting  their 
own  habitations,  collected  themselves  to- 
gether in  the  larger  houses,  which  they  forti- 
fied as  Avell  as  they  could.  They  scarcely 
dared  go  into  the  fields,  nor  ever  stepped  out 
of  doors  but  at  the  peril  of  life. 

-The  French,  by  bidding  a  price  for  every 
scalp,  continually  excited  the  savage  to  the 
work  of  blood  and  ruin.  They  taught  him 
to  regard  thorn  as  the  only  genuine  friends 
of  Christianity  ;  the  English  as  heretics,  and 
trespassers  on  their  soil,  whom  to  kill  was 
not  only  lawf  il,  but  meritorious.  A  curious 
specimen  of  the  kind  of  Christianity  they 
imparted   to    the   Indians,   and  the   fruits  it 


154       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

yielded,  is  exemplified  in  the  following  inci- 
dent. "  The  noted  Thevouet,  or  Kevoiiet, 
an  Indian  Sachem,  died  at  Montreal.  The 
French  gave  him  burial  in  a  pompous  man- 
ner ;  the  Catholic  priest  who  attended  him 
at  his  death  having  declared  that  he  died  a 
true  Christian ;  '  For,'  said  lie,  '  while  1 
exj^lained  to  him  the  passion  of  our  Saviour, 
whom  the  Jews  -'*  crucified,,  he  cried  out :  0, 
had  I  been  there ^  I  would  have  avenged  his 
death,  and  brought  away  tlieir  scalps  f  " 

The  inordinate  thirst  of  Indians  for  ardent 
spirits  has  been  attributed  "  to  their  per- 
petual traverse  of  the  woods,  and  their  con- 
stant use  of  fresh  water  f  and  unsalted  meat. 

*  This  is  an  error,  but  lias  been  handed  down 
to  us  for  ages,  and  incorporated  into  our  education 
as  such,  ever  since  the  event  occurred.  Crucifix- 
Ibn  was  practised  by  the  Konians,  and  not  by  the 
iFe^'s,  as  It  mode  of  punishment. 

fThis  item  is  copied  from  Williamson's  History 
of  Maine.     If  it  be  true,  the  "foes  of  temperance 


Modern  Town  of  Yoric,  155 

They  will  drink  strong  liquor  unmixed,  until 
they  can  swallow  no  more.  They  are  then 
to  a  frightful  d  gree  violent  and  destructive. 
Their  firearms  and  knives  must  then  be 
taken  fro.n  ihem  to  prevent  murder." 

THE    MILITIA    OF    MAINE. 

In  1693  a  statute  was  passed  to  revise  and 
regulate  the  militia  of  Maine,  which  directed 
all  th?  male  inhabitants  between  the  ages 
of  sixteen  and  sixty  years,  except  those 
exempted,  to  be  enrolled  and  to  do  military 
duty  four  days  in  a  year ;  and  to  be  well 
armed  and  equipped  with  a  firelock  and  its 
a])pend;iges,  furnished  at  their  own  expense. 
The  exempts  were  many,  extending  not  only 
to  all  members  of  the  Legislature,  clergymen, 
deacons,  and  all  judicial  and  execuiive  offi- 
cers, but  to   masters  of  arts,  herdsmen,  and 

\\r\(\  its  friends  alike''  have  recommended  a  wron^ 
eubstitute,  unless  this  beverage  acts  b\  conirarics  ! 


lo6       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

sea-captains.  These  musters  were  to  take 
place  triennially. 

In  the  recollection  of  the  writer,  during  the 
years  1829-33  a  "Muster"  for  inspection 
and  review  of  the  district  took  place  in  his 
native  town  and  lasted  one  day,  in  each  year, 
and  for  confusion,  revelry,  and  tumult,  it 
compared  favorably  with  the  accounts  for- 
merly published  of  fairs  once  held  in  Donny- 
brook  in  Ireland,  or  the  din  and  clangor  of 
half  a  dozen  Fourth  of  July  celebrations 
combined  in  one.  An  Old  York  Muster,  as 
it  was  then  termed,  in  times  past,  will  never 
be  forgotten  by  a  beholder,  much  less  by  a 
participant. 

The  military  display  on  that  occasion  was 
of  itself  a  curious  spectable :  — fantastic  com- 
panies, in  rag-tag-and-bob-tail  uniforms  (/), 
—  no  two  alike,  —  with  arquebuses,  blun- 
derbusses, firelocks,  guns,  muskets,  and 
queen's- arms  of  every  conceivable  shape  and 
form,  except  the  right  one ;  and  n(»t  one  Id  a 


3To(l€m  Toivn  of  YorJc,  157 

hundred  would  be  of  the  least  practical  use, 
except  as  bludgeons  or  shillalays  in  a  single- 
combat  or  hand-to-hand  fight.  Bands  with 
untuned  and  untunable  instruments  (of  tor- 
ture, not  music),  emitted  most  diabolical 
sounds,  reminding  you  of  the  unearthly  cha- 
otic jargon  of  the  condemned,  emanating 
from  the  bottomless  abyss  —  unless  yon  were 
an  Universalist ! 

Leaving  out  debauches,  gaming,  riots, 
tumults,  and  the  like,  there  were  exhibitions 
of  buffoonery,  wax-work,  Jim  Crow  dancing, 
destroying  each  other's  booth,  tent,  or  stock 
in  t;  ade  (no  police  or  keepers  of  the  peace 
in  vogue  at  that  time'^,  the  sale  of  confec- 
tionery and  molasses  gingerbread,  —  which 
cheapens  as  the  day  wanes,  for  the  reason 
that  dealers  in  these  commodities  had  rather 
sacrifice  their  wares,  and  depart  empty- 
handed  than  otherwise.  A  not  uncommon 
scene,  toward  night,  would  be  beaux  and 
belles,  with  soiled  vesture,  and  a  weary  gait. 


158       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

suffering  the  fatigues  from  a  full  season  of 
enjoyment,  departing  for  their  homes,  laden 
with  the  spoils  only  vouchsafed  them  once  a 
year,  viz.  :  a  dozen  or  two  sheets  of  molasses 
gingerbread  tied  up  in  a  red  silk  bandanna 
handkerchief. 

Among  the  numerous  divertisements  of  the 
day  we  may  make  mention  of  a  sham  fight, 
then  thought  to  be  a  necessary  adjunct  to 
the  completion  of  a  full  performance  on  a 
training  day.  The  battle  was  only  to  be 
feigned,  yet  preparations  were  made  by  the 
ambulance  corps  to  take  care  of  the  killed 
and  wounded.  It  was  necessary  in  the  first 
pi  ice  to  select  a  number  of  men  to  play  the 
parts  of  dying  and  dead;  and,  to  prevent 
mistakes  and  confusion,  each  one  was  fur- 
nished with  a  ticket  setting  forth  the  nature 
and  severity  of  his  injuries.  The  two  lines 
then  approached  each  other,  the  mimic  com- 
bat began,  and  soon  the  ground  was  thickly 
covered  with  the  victims  of  war's  fell  rage, 


3Iocl€rn  Town  of  York,  15'j 

The  ambulance  men  a(lvanc?(l,  and  began  to 
pick  up  the  sufferers.  The  wounds  of  each 
one,  as  indicated  by  the  ticket  attached  to 
the  body,  were  carefully  examined^  and  the 
proper  remedies  were  promptly  administered. 
One  soldier,  however,  received  instructions 
which  justified  him,  as  he  thought,  in  giving 
up  the  ghost.  Thoso  who  were  taking  care 
of  the  wounded  were  surprised  at  finding 
that  he  gave  no  sign  of  life,  and  immediately 
called  an  officer  for  consultation.  The  officer 
asked  the  man  what  ailed  him,  but  received 
no  reply.  A  physician  was  then  called, 
under  whose  direction  water  Avas  thrown  in 
the  wounded  man's  face,  but  without  the 
desired  result.  Finally,  the  signal  for  the 
close  of  the  exercises  sounded,  whereupon 
the  dead  man  jumped  up  as  well  as  ever. 
In  reply  to  the  questions  which  were  put  to 
him,  he  said  that  he  had  done  nothing  but 
what  it  seemed  to  him  the  severity  of  hia 
wounds  required  him  to  do. 


160      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

But  such  exhibitions  and  di^5play:3  are  not 
now  seen  or  heard  of,  and  scarcely  are  they 
remembered  except  by  a  few  of  the  present 
inliabitants  of  the  town. 

In  1843  the  State  militia  was  abolished. 


EARLY    SCHOOLS. 

The  first  recorded  action  taken  in  regard 
to  schools  was  in  1761,  when  Nathaniel 
Freeman  was  employed  by  the  selectmen  for 
eight  pounds  per  year,  with  three  pence  per 
week  for  teaching  reading,  and  four  pence 
per  week  for  writing  and  ciphering!  His 
year  began  May  5.  The  next  year  (1762) 
he  was  engaged  for  ten  pounds,  with  the 
same  price  for  other  branches  as  he  had  the 
previous  year. 

In  the  year  1709-10,  the  selectmen  were 
instructed  by  vote  of  the  town  to  hire  a 
schoolmaster  for  seven  years,  to  teach  all  in 
the  town   to  read,   write,  and  cipher.     Tlie 


Modern  Town  of  Vork.  161 


next  year  (1711)  Xathanicl  Freeman  was 
engaged  for  the  term  of  seven  years.  He 
was  to  teach  from  eight  o'clock  to  twelve 
in  the  forenoon,  and  from  one  o'clock  to  five 
in  the  afternoon,  for  thirty  pounds  per  year, 
paid  quarterly  ;  one-tliird  in  provisions,  and 
the  balance  in  money  of  New  England.  In 
addition,  the  town  was  to  build  him  a  house 
twenty-two  by  eighteen  feet,  with  a  hrick 
chimney  !  The  school  was  to  be  free  to  all 
from  five  years  old  and  upwaids. 

In  1717  a  vote  was  passed  for  the  employ- 
in -^nt  of  a  grand  schoohnaster  for  one  year, 
to  instruct  the  children  in  the  learned  things, 
who  was  to  be  paid  and  maintained  at  the 
expense  of  the  town.  Kindred  action  was 
taken  from  time  to  time,  showing  the  inhab- 
itants were  not  indifferent  to  the  benefits  of 
an  education.  At  the  present  time  the  num- 
ber of  school  districts  in  York  is  fifteen. 


162      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 


BOON    ISLAND SHirWRECK. 

This  is  an  island  or  ledge  of  rocks  about 
Rcven  miles  distant  south-cast  from  Cape 
Ncddick,  which  is  the  nearest  land,  and  is 
one-fourth  of  a  mile  in  lenrrth.     About  one 

o 

league  distant,  east  from  it,  is  Boon  Island 
ledge,  which  is  very  dangerous.  This  island, 
on  Avhich  is  the  light-house,  is  so  low  and 
small  that  often  in  gales  and  storms  the 
waters  drive  the  residents  from  their  dwell- 
ing to  the  second  story  of  the  light-house. 
On  December  11,  ITIO,  the  Xottingham 
Galley,  a  vessel  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
tons  burden,  with  ten  guns  and  fourteen 
men,  under  John  Dean,  mnster,  bound  to 
Boston  from  London,  was  driven  by  a  tre- 
mendous gale,  accompanied  with  hail,  rain, 
and  snow,  upon  Boon  Island.  It  was  in 
total  darkness  when  their  suiTLrings  com- 
menced there,  they  being  cold,  fatigued, 
hungry,    and    wet,    without   food,    light,    or 


Modern  Totvn  of  York.         163 

Bhelter.  In  so  dreadful  a  night  some  of 
them  very  soon  died.  The  next  day,  they 
endeavored,  but  ineffectually,  to  make  some 
signal  to  be  noticed  from  the  nearest  shc^re ; 
and  after  a  few  days  spent  here,  two  of  them 
attempted  to  get  to  York  on  a  raft,  but  they 
were  drowned.  The  only  food  these  forlorn 
sufferers  couM  obtain  were  shreds  of  raw 
hide  and  a  few  muscles  and  rockwecd.  In  a 
few  days  they  prayed  to  Heaven  for  succor 
and  relief,  and  treated  each  other  with  kind- 
ness and  condolence.  But,  through  extreme 
famine  and  distress,  they  bethought  them- 
selves of  the  duty  of  preserving  their  lives,  if 
possible,  by  eating  some  of  the  flesh  of  one 
of  their  comrades  who  had  perished  from 
starvation,  and  whose  body  lay  lifeless  before 
them.  At  first  they  deliberated  and  sighed, 
but  at  last  chose  this  as  a  less  evil  than 
death;  yet  having  no  fire,  their  only  alterna- 
tive was  to  swallow  it,  loathsome  as  it  was, 
raw.    Their  dispositions  immediately  seemed 


164      Ancient  City  of  Oorgeana. 

to  undergo  a  total  change  ;  quarrels  and  pro- 
fanity ensued;  they  condemned  themselves 
together  of  their  Maker,  and  prayed  to  him 
no  more.  In  this  unhappy  plight  were  these 
wretched  objects  of  desjiair,  when  they  were 
discovered  and  taken  oft\  January  3,  1711, 
after  twenty-three  days'  sojourn,  emaciated 
to  mere  skeletons,  and  unable  to  walk. 

Upon  this  island  is  a  dwelling-house  and 
a  light-house.  The  latter  was  built  of  stone, 
by  the  United  States  government,  in  1811, 
and  cost  two  thousand  "five  hundred  and 
ninety  dollars,  and  the  next  )'ear  the  island 
was  ceded  to  the  government.  The  pay  of 
the  keeper,  previous  to  1832,  was  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  per  annum.  He  has  a 
fine  opportunity  to  obtain  abundance  of  sea- 
fowl,  which  furnishes  him  with  food  and 
feathers. 

It  has  at  present  three  keepers  :  the  salary 
of  the  first  is  six  hundred  dollars  a  year ;  the 
assistants,  three  hundred  dollars  each. 


Modern  Town  of  York,         1G5 

The  Boon  Island  light  was  kept  for  many 
years  previous  to  1841  by  Captain  Eliphalet 
Grover,  wlio  occupied  his  time  in  making 
bass-viols,  one  of  which  he  presented  to  the 
First  Congregational  Church  in  York,  June 
7,  1834.  It  \\as  accepted,  with  a  vote  of 
thanks,  and  Captain  John  S.  Thompson,  —  a, 
successor  to  Grover,  as  light-keeper,  —  who 
led  the  choir  for  many  years,  extracted  its 
dulcet  and  harmonious  strains  for  the  benefit 
of  that  congregation.  A  child  who  was 
born  at  Boon  Island,  and  had  resided  there 
till  of  suitable  age  to  attend  school,  appeared 
very  singularly  when,  for  the  first  time,  he 
visited  the  mainland.  He  had  never  seen 
cattle,  children,  houses,  land,  trees,  or,  in 
fact,  anything  except  Boon  Island  and  his 
parents,  and  his  demeanor  and  manners  were 
quite  amusing  till  the  ways  of  t<  rra  firma 
were  learned. 

Captain  Grover  was  one  of  York's  ancient 
sea-captains ;   and  the  list  also  embraced  at 


16G      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

that  time  Captains  Josiah  Bragdon,  Thomas 
B.  Clark,  Luther  and  Timothy  Grow,  Joseph 
Kingsbury,  Charles  Moody,  John  Perkins, 
John  and  Solomon  Varrell,  and  many  others ; 
while  in  the  coasting  and  fishing  business 
were  various  Skippers,  as  the  commanders 
of  these  minor  craft  were  called,  viz.,  Abra- 
ham Booker,  Donnell,  Benj.  Fletcher,  Leach, 
Varrell,  Voudy,  etc.,  who  are,  doubtless, 
remembered  by  many  now  living. 


YOBK    COMMERCE WHARVES. 

In  the  days  of  York's  commercial  pros- 
perity, there  were  two  wharves  at  or  near  the 
south  end  of  Se wall's  Bridge,  at  which  ves- 
sels of  considerable  size  used  to  lie,  waiting 
to  load  or  unload  the  various  commodities  of 
trade.  Captain  Nathaniel  Sewall  lived  about 
two  miles  further,  towards  Kittery,  a  mile 
from  the  travelled  road,  and  several  gat:s 
had  to  be  opened  and  passed  to  reach  his 


Motlern    Town  of  YorJx.  107 

house,  will  h  is  now  occupied  by  Theodore 
Parsons,  Mstj.,  who  married  Captain  Sewall's 
daughter.  There  are  still  living  some  who 
may  remember  the  beautiful  old  ladies,  the 
sisters,  Misses  Sally  and  Lydia  Sewall,  who 
vrere  members  of  his  family,  and  whose  genial 
manners  and  sprightly  conversation  made 
them  universally  beloved. 

The  next  wharf  below  is  that  of  George  A. 
Marshall,  originally  built  by  Thomas  Don- 
nell,  afterwards  owned  by  a  Mr.  Stone,  then 
by  Joseph  Tucker,  who  was  then  collector 
of  the  customs,  under  Washington,  from 
1793,  for  a  number  of  years,  and  died  in 
1804.  He  was  a  man  of  note.  His  daugh- 
ter married  Hon.  William  Pitt  Preble,  who 
became  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Maine.  His  origin  is  unknown,  as  the 
name  Tucker  is  not  an  early  one,  or  much 
known  in  York.  He  is  the  only  one  bearing 
that  name  in  the  records.  He  naarried  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  Stone,  and  lived  in  the  same 


1(!8      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

house  with  lier  father ;  was  parish  and  town 
clerk,  and  served  in  several  capacities  of 
responsibility.  The  first  mention  of  him 
on  the  parish  records  is  March  17,  179."), 
\vhen  he  was  placed  on  a  committee  to  huild 
singing-seats  in  the  front  gallery  of  the  meet- 
ing-house. In  the  records  it  was  invariably 
"  Jos.  Tucker,  Enqr.'''  He  lived  nearly  oppo- 
site the  store  of  George  A.  Marshall.  This 
house  was  built  by  Thomas  Donnell,  or 
John  Stone.  Becoming  so  dilapidated  that 
it  could  not  be  repaired,  Mr.  Marshall  sold 
it  to  Mr.  Charles  Goodwin,  after  which  it 
was  taken  down  and  converted  into  a  sum- 
mer resort,  near  the  Short  Sands  Beach,  and 
is  well  patronized.  The  wharf  and  property 
have  passed  through  several  hands  ;  it  is  now 
owned  by  jNIr.  Marshall,  and  is  the  best  one 
for  business  in  the  town.  Preparations  are 
being  made  to  enlarge  the  wharf,  and  a  new 
store  is  to  be  built  on  the  site  of  the  old 
house. 


3Iod€rn  Towti  of  York.  169 

sewall's  beidge. 

The  first  action  ever  taken  in  relation  to 
this  bridge  was  at  a  parish  meetinci:,  holden 
Jan.  20,  1742,  where  it  was  "Voted,  that 
this  parish  is  willing  there  should  be  a  bridge 
built  across  York  river,  at  or  near  where 
Capt.  Samuel  Sewall  keeps  a  ferry,  and  that 
a  Committee  be  chosen  to  take  subscriptions 
for  the  building  the  same,  and  the  said 
committee  are  directed  to  prepare  materials 
for  to  build  said  bridge  as  soon  as  may  be," 
"  Capt.  Nathaniel  Donncll,  Samuel  Sewall, 
Joseph  Holt,  Samuel  Bragdon,  Jr.,  Samuel 
Milberry,  and  Thomas  Donnell,  were  voted 
the  committee  to  take  subscriptions  and  pre- 
pare materials,"  etc.  They  were  a  long 
time  in  obtaining  subscriptions,  but  suc- 
ceeded, and  the  bridge  was  built,  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  old  Faris/i,  as  many  of  the  wor- 
shippers lived  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
were  desirous  to  have  part  of  the  tax  raised 
for    preaching    expended    in    that    locality, 


170      Ancient  City  of  Gorgenna, 

because  of  the  trouble  of  ferrying  to  and  from 
the  other  side.  Captain  Sewall,  Mr.  Holt, 
ind  Samuel  liragdon,  three  of  the  commit- 
tee, lived  on  this  side  of  the  river,  and  were 
very  prominent  men.  Thomas  Donnell,  of 
this  comm.ittee,  lived  in  a  house  near  where 
George  A.  ]\Iarshairs  store  now  is.  Xo 
record  exists  that  this  was  ever  a  toll  bridge, 
and  the  advantages  derived  are  to  be  cred- 
ited principally  to  the  old  parish.  This 
bridge  was  built  in  17G1,  and  remained  for 
thirty-three  years,  till  1794,  when  it  was 
rebuilt  or  repaired  by  Mr.  Sewall,  and  an 
appropriation  of  one  thousand  dollars  was 
made  by  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  for 
that  purpose. 

This  was  said  to  have  been  th3  first  j>/e/- 
bridge  built  in  the  United  States,  certainly  in 
the  New  England  States,  and  owes  its  con- 
struction to  Major  Samuel  Sewall,  a  great 
architect  in  his  time.  At  the  fresent  day 
each  pile  is  driven  singly.     The  method  em- 


Modern  Totvn  of  York,  171 

ployed  in  constructing  this  bridge  would  be 
considered  behind  the  age,  and  was  as  fol- 
lows :  The  piles  or  posts  were  of  different 
lengths ;  the  length  being  determined  by 
probing  the  bottom  of  the  river  or  mud  with 
a  pointed  iron  affixed  to  a  L^ng  pole,  and 
having  ascertained  the  various  depths  of  the 
mud  in  a  section,  a  whole  section,  containing 
four  piles  or  posts,  was  framed,  well  braced, 
and  the  cap  sill  fastened  on,  At  still  tide  it 
was  floated  to  its  place,  and,  by  dint  of  labor, 
set  upright  and  guyed.  Lu^rge  and  heavy  oak 
logs,  the  tops  or  lighter  ends  of  which  were 
secured  inland,  were  then  made  use  of,  and 
the  butts  raised  by  tacldes  tj  a  proper 
hcij^ht ;  and  by  the  striking  of  detents  or 
latches,  th'j  ropes  were  released,  the  logs  fell 
with  great  force  upon  the  caps,  and  by  their 
im[^et';S  this  section  was  driven  to  the  depth 
desired. 

A.  diagram  of  the  bed  of  the  river,  showing 
the  depth  of  the  water  at  different  places, 


172       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 


drawn  and  colored  by  Major  Scwall,  is  in  the 
possession  of  Captain  Joseph  Sewall,  grand- 
son of  a  brother  of  the  original  constructor, 
—  who  now  occupies  the  homestead  of  his 
ancestors  on  the  hill,  —  and  is  by  no  means 
an  inferior  production.  He  has  also  the 
original  augers,  chisels,  latches,  probes,  asid 
some  other  implements,  used  in  constructing 
the  first  bridge. 

The  building  of  this  bridg3  caused  quite  a 
sensation  in  the  architectural  world  at  the 
time,  and  Major  Sewall  was  engaged  soon 
after  to  bijiild  a  similar  one  between  Boston 
and  Charlestown.  From  this  first  bridge  the 
idea  of  building  pier  or  pile  bridges,  now 
practised,  came  in  vogue. 

This  bridge  has  been  repaired  from  time 
to  time.  About  the  yer:r  1849  it  was  almost 
wholly  rebuilt.  Nearly  all  the  original  piles 
were  cut  off  near  low-water  mark,  and  their 
tops  can  be  seen  at  low- tide. 

In  1873,  the  whole  s:rface  hbove  the  piles 
was  rebuilt,  and,   in  order    to    increase    the 


3f:>flern  Town  of  York.  173 

width  of  the  draw,  several  of  the  ori<j;inal 
oak  piles  were  p  died  I'.p.  On  examination, 
the  eight  feet  which  ])erforated  and  had  re- 
mained imbedded  in  the  clayey  bottom  one 
hundred  and  twelve  years  were  as  sound  as 
when  placed  there,  not  even  the  charred  sur- 
face of  the  wood  nor  marks  of  the  axe  being 
obliterated.  The  remaining  portion,  of  about 
five  feet,  was  somewhat  affected  by  insects. 

York  lliver  has  its  source  north-westerly, 
and  is  navigable  for  six  or  seven  miles  from 
its  mouth.  In  a  house  which  formerly  stood 
on  the  hill  nearly  opposite  the  easterly  end 
of  this  bridge,  once  lived  the  owner  and  skip- 
per of  a  coasting  Chebacco-boat  or  pink-stern 
fishing-smack,  which  he  usually  manned  alone 
even  between  York  and  Boston  ;  and  it  is 
said,  in  a  ht  of  uncontrollable  rage,  he  killed 
his  wife  by  beating  her  to  death  with  a  r  alt- 
fish  !  This  story  appears  apocryphal  in  one 
or  more  of  its  details,  but  it  has  credence 
sufficient  to  be  perpetuated  from  one  genera- 
tion to  another. 


174      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

CENSUS    OVER    A    CENTURY    AGO. 

The  census  of  the  inhabitants,  as  taken, 
was  neither  very  thorough  or  correct.  There 
were  many  who  were  not  without  their  scru- 
ples of  its  being  equally  presumptuous  in  the 
present  age  as  in  the  days  of  the  Israelites. 
By  the  census  returned,  and  by  estimation^ 
the  whole  population  of  Maine  was,  in  1764, 
about  twenty-four  thousand.  York  was  cal- 
culated to  contain  two  thousand  two  hundred 
and  seventy-seven  white  inhabitants,  and 
fifty-six  negroes,  comprised  in  three  hundred 
and  ninety-seven  families,  and  to  have  two 
hundred  and  seventy-two  houses. 

In  1850,  two  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
fifty  ;  I^les  of  Shoals,  twenty-nine. 

The  census  of  1873,  by  actual  calculation, 
gives  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty- 
four  inhabitants.  This  town,  it  will  be  thus 
seen,  was  nearly  stationary  in  population 
£r«m  the  period  in  one  century  to  a  point 


3fo(fern   Tofcn    of  i'ink,  175 

somewhat  beyond  a  similar  d  tte  iu  another 
The  recent  im[)etu.s  ^iven  k)  th'  place  is, 
however,  lik(  ly  to  consikrably  inci(  ase  the 
number  of  i;s  inhabitants  in  the  future. 


SPIKITS II.vrXTT.D    IIOTSE. 

Near  the  scutli-west  corner  of  the  old 
burying-ground  is  a  grave,  w;t!i  head  and 
foot  stones,  between  which  and  1 .  ing  on  the 
grave  is  a  large  flat  rock,  as  large  as  the 
grave  itself.  The  inscription  roads  thus  :  — 
"  Mary  Xasson,  wife  of  Samuel  Xasson,  died 
August  28,  1774,  aged  29  years."  Xo  one, 
at  least  in  tlnjjtown,;  scem^i^to  know^  anything 
about  her  origin,  death,  or  even  of  the  sin- 
gular looking  grave.  Xo  other  occupant  of 
a  grave  bearing  this  co  ;nomen  can  be  found 
in  this  cemetery,  and  the  name  is  unknown 
in  the  town.  A  great  many  surmises  and 
conjectures  have  been  advanced  in  regard  to 
this    matter,    in    order    arrive    at  the  facts, 


176       Ancient  City  of  Oorgeana, 

if  there  be  any,  and  to  clear  up  the  dark 
affair,  but  nothing  definite  has  ever  come  out 
of  the  effort.  The  writer  of  this,  when  a 
youth,  living  in  York,  was  given  to  under- 
stand that  this  stone  was  placed  there  to  keep 
down  a  ivitcli  that  was  buried  beneath  it. 
But  this  could  hardly  be  true,  for  numerous 
reasons  :  —  she  died  too  young  to  entitle  her 
to  that  appellation ;  she  had  been  married, 
and  witches  seldom  or  never  marry ;  besides, 
grave-stones  abounding  in  praises  of  the  de- 
ceased would  not  have  been  permitted,  in 
those  times ;  and  last,  but  not  least,  it  would 
have  been  very  doubtful,  indeed,  if  the 
powers  that  were  would  have  allowed,  or 
even  suffered,  her  burial  in  this  grave-yard. 
If  a  witch,  she  would  have  been  interred  in 
"  the  rough  sands  of  the  sea,  at  low-water 
mark,  where  the  tide  ebbs  and  flows  twice  in 
twenty-four  hours,"  or  on  a  highway,  at  the 
junction  of  three  roads. 

An   old  overgrown   two-storied  dwelling- 

•   I 


Modern  Town  of  York,         K? 


house    formerly    occupying    the    site    of   the 
present  one,  now  on  the  corner  next  south- 
east of   the    court-house,  prior  to    the    year 
1829,  Avas  said  to  have  been  liauntcd.  or  at 
least  infested   with  one  evil  spirit  (not  ma- 
terial), who  was  incarcerated  in  a  designated 
apartment  in   this   house.'-'     After  a  certain 
period  of  years,  this    spirit  was,  in  the  par- 
lance of  those  days,  to  be  "  laid,"  and  per- 
mitted to  depart,  when  it  would  proceed  to 
walk  thrice  around    this    burying-yard,    and 
evoke  the   denizen  of  this  grave  to  join  it. 
After  this,  both  were  condemned   to  pertbrm 
a  penance  by  travelling  a  thousand  years  on 
the    face    of    this    mundane    sphere,    before 
departing    to    the  realms    beyond  time   into 
eternity.      But  this  spirit,  in  the  mean  time, 

*  As  tills  hundred  years  will  expire  August  28, 
1874,  a  great  event  may  be  expected;  such  an 
one,  probably,  if  it  takes  place,  as  the  inhabitants 
of  neither  this  nor  any  other  place  will  believe,  if 
they  witness  it, 


178       Anc'icnf  Citij  of  Govfjeana, 

havin*:^  become  turbuLnt  and  troublesome  to 
the  inmates  of  the  house,  it  Avas  deemed  ad- 
visable to  anticipate  the  unexpired  portion  of 
the  hundred  years,  and  proceed  tj  perform 
the  necessary  ceremony  of  '^  allaying,"  or 
exorcism,  whicli  was  accordin,^ly  done.  This 
released  spirit  may  have  been  embodied  in 
the  veritable  Ja[f  Errant,  M'ho  has  been 
represented,  when  seen,  as  alone,  walki«ig 
around  the  earth  to  occnpy  his  tiine  until  the 
century  expires,  to  join  his  companion,  whose 
bonds  to  the  grave  will  be  loosed. 

Another  and  more  probable  explanation 
of  this  mysterious  affa'r  is  this  :  when  Mrs. 
Xasson  was  buried,  the  burying-ground 
was  not  enclosed  or  fenced,  and  cattle  and 
hogs  ha\"ing  free  access,  it  has  been  inferred 
that  her  husband  caused  this  flat  stone  to  be 
placed  on  the  grave  to  prevent  these  animals 
from  desecr;iting  or  disturbing  the  remains. 
Its  dimensions  have  perceptibly  diminished 
within  the  last  half-century. 


Modern  Town  ofYorh.  179 

Many  of  York's  worthiest  men  and  women 
sleep  in  this  cemetery,  without  a  stone  or  other 
indication  to  mark  their  last  resting-place. 
Though  the  monuments  are  few,  the  cemetery 
is  crowded  with  the  graves  of  past  genera- 
tions ;  and  it  tchoves  those  now  living  to 
care  for  and  embellish  a  spot  where  so  many 
of  the  "  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep." 
At  the  present  time  it  is  not  possible  to  dig  a 
grave  here  without  disturbing  the  remains 
of  some  previous  sleeper ;  and  soon  after 
being  dug,  unless  in  the  south-easterly  part, 
in  a  few  minutes  it  would  contain  sufficient 
water  to  float  a  coffin  until  it  filled  and  sank. 

From  present  indications,  something  in  the 
way  of  improvement  will  be  done.  Very 
recently,  a  gentleman  from  Worcester,  Mass., 
who  was  born  in  York,  and  left  there  while 
a  youth,  comparatively  penniless,  but  who 
occasionally  visits  his  natal  place,  has  taken 
the  matter  in  hand.  By  an  active  life  of 
honesty  and  integrity,  he  has  become  pos- 
sessed of  a  goodly  fortune.     He  has  set  an 


180      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

example  worthy  of  imitation,  by  rebuilding 
the  bank-wall  at  the  northerly  corner,  where 
lies  all  that  is  mortal  of  Judge  Sewall  and 
family ;  and  has  set  upright  all  the  reclining 
and  prostrate  grave-stones,  and  trimmed  the 
wild  and  superfluous  shrubbery.  Another 
individual  who  left  York  and  returned  under 
similar  circumstances  has  also  rebuilt  a  por- 
tion of  the  wall.  While  this  is  deserving  of 
all  praise  on  the  part  of  these  gentlemen, 
and  improves  the  appearance  of  the  place 
where  the  noble  pioneers  rest,  and  which 
should  be  protected  for  all  time,  the  improve- 
ment must  be  received  with  an  ill-grace  by 
those  who,  by  the  ties  of  nature,  are  morally 
bound  to  do  what  others  have  done.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  the  new  cemetery,  in  rear  of 
the  Town-house,  will  never  be  so  neglected  as 
this  has  been,  and  that  those  who  continue  to 
live  in  the  vicinity  will  possess  public  spirit 
sufficient  to  keep  it  in  repair  A  recent  en- 
largement has  been  made,  and  laid  out  into 
lots  with  perfect  rcgidarity. 


182      Ancient  €ity  of  G'orgeana. 


BARTHOLOMEW,  BETSY,  AND   EUTH    AVITHAM 
THE    OLD    SARGEXT    HOUSE. 

Doubtless  many  now  living  in  York  may 
remember  Bartholomew  Witham,  commonly 
called  in  those  days  by  not  only  the  boys,  but 
every  one  else,  Uncle  Bart,  who  had  served 
in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and,  according 
to  liis  own  stories,  was  himself  a  favorite  of 
General  George  Washington,  of  whom  and 
of  his  own  exploits  he  never  tired  of  telling, 
especially  if  a  little  merry.  He  had  a  "  good 
apple  "  tree,  and  used  to  give  his  favorites  an 
occasional  taste  of  the  fruit.  An  incident  in 
his  life  may  be  worth  mentioning.  One  dark 
night,  -while  on  his  way  home  from  what  was 
called  the  "  store,"  near  the  Judge  Sewall 
house,  a  little  the  worse  for  liquor,  and  find- 
ing the  road  very  crooked,  he  espied  in  the 
air  the  fiery  eyes  and  glowing  mouth  of 
something  M'hich  seemed  to  be  approaching 
close  to  a  point  which  he  had  to  pass.     He 


Moifern   Toifn  of  York.  183 


thought  the  Devil  had  surely  come  for  him  ; 

and  nisliinn'  to  the  ue  :re>jt  hou-e,  then  occu- 
pied by  Mrs.  Abigail  Emer.son,  cried  out  for 
help.  A  boy,  who  knew  "  some  jutnijiliriHS' 
threw  a  stone  at  and  destroyed  the  fiery 
demon,  much  to  Uncle  l]art"s  relief,  who 
went  on  his  way  singing,  ''•  When  I  can  read 
my  title  clear,"'  vS:c. 

A  youth,  a  new-comer  in  t  )\vn,  wlio  loved 
appL's,  —  and  what  boy  does  not?  —  once 
called  at  his  house,  hoping  to  fare  as  well  as 
others  had  fared  before  him.  lie  imagined, 
if  it  was  right  to  say  "  Unkle  Bart,"  it  was 
equally  correct  to  call  his  wife  ""  Aunt  Bart." 
So,  when  the  good  old  lady  came  to  the  door, 
he  began:  *' Aunt  Bar — '■"'  "Go  away,  you 
dog,  you  !  ""  said  she,  '"  or  1  '11  ^liart'  you  !"' 
and  he  went  away  quicker  than  he  came. 
This  was  excusable  ignorance  in  the  boy ; 
but  when  a  young  lady  who  was  born  here, 
and  had  always  resided  in  the  town,  had 
occasion  to  introduce  to  her  a  newly-arrived 
clergyman's  wife,  on  their  rounds  among  the 


184       Ancient  City  of  Gorffcana, 

church  sisters,  and  called  her  "  Mrs.  Bart," 
she  failed  to  resent  it,  and  the  mistake  was 
not  discovered  till  some  time  afterwards.  The 
family  of  Mr.  Witham  consisted  of  himself, 
his  wife  Betsy,  and  his  sister  Ruth.  A  little 
sign  over  the  door  informed  the  passer  by  that 


CAKES    a^    CINDER      I 

could  be  procured  within  ;  and  the  scrupu- 
lous neatness  and  order  of  the  interior  added 
a  zest  and  relish  to  the  only  two  articles 
there  .  dispensed  ;  and  which,  with  spinning 
and  knitting,  served  by  the  sale  of  their 
products  to  satisfy  their  moderate  wants. 
Bart  also  drew  a  pension  for  service  in  the 
Revolutionary  war. 

Aunt  Betty  and  Ruth  were  very  pious,  and 
always  Baptists  ;  but  when  the  Methodists 
settled  in  York,  the  place  of  worship  of  the 
latter  being  a  little  nearer  their  domicile  than 
their  own,  they  compromised  the  matter  be- 
tween their   duty  to  walk  so  far  and    their 


Modern  Town  of  York.  185 

belief,  and  chose  th's  as  an  alternative  in 
preference  to  the  Congregational  —  the  latter 
being  in  its  external  form  many  more  removes 
from  their  faith  than  the  Methodist. 

Miss  Ruth  invariably  wore  a  white  band- 
age over  the  lower  part  of  her  face,  and  a 
sort  of  draped  curtain  depending  from  the 
chin,  which  was  a  source  of  great  wonder- 
ment to  the  children,  who  would  often  whis- 
per to  each  other  : 

"  I  spy  a  great  peard  under  her  muffler  I  " 

The  real  reason  why  Miss  Ruth  wore  this 
bandage  around  her  face  was,  that  she  was 
fully  bearded  like  a  man,  and  she  wore  this 
to  conceal  the  hair.  She  also  had  whiskers 
like  a  man.  The  bandage  went  over  the  top 
of  her  head,  came  down  the  sides  of  her  face, 
and  undr  her  chin,  and  covered  her  chin 
nearly  up  to  her  mouth.  The  hair  on  tlic 
upper  lip  she  cut  off  with  the  scissors. 

On  the  south  side  of  this  road,  going  from 
the  vdlage  near  the  hill,  once  lived  Benjamin 
McLucas,  whose  occupation  was   the  making 


18G      Ancietit  Ciftj  of  Gorgeana. 

and  repairing  of  cliair-bottoais  with  twisted 
flags  :  a  profession  which,  as  Ik'  then  con- 
ducted it,  now  ranks  among  the  lost  arta  ! 

The  present  house,  next  west  of  Wilson 
M.  Walker's  store,  now  th'j  propert}'  of  Cap- 
tain Frank  Emerson  (son  of  Charles  ().),  is 
the  old  Sargent  house  remodelled.  It  was 
owned  and  occupied  in  the  last  generation 
by  Mr.  Andrew  Sargent,  who,  wi'Ji  his  wife 
and  daughter  Polly  (subsequently  married  to 
Moses  Lyman;,  constituted  the  family.  jNIr. 
Sargent  was  for  many  years  p;)st-master,  and 
the  post-ofhce  was  in  the  rear  of  the  house, 
the  entrance  being  on  the  north  side,  and 
through  a  long,  glo')my  passage  way,  in  close 
proxi'.nity  to  the  stairs  leading  t)  the  room 
in  which  the  ''  ghost  wjis  said  to  be  laid,'' 
or  had  r^  sided.  Notwithstanding  the  large 
number  of  trees  in  this  town.  Mr.  Sargent  is 
said  to  have  owned  almost  the  only  apple- 
orchard  which  bore  summer  apples.  It  was 
in  the  rear  of  Mr.  Vv'alker's  store. 


3Iodevn  Town  of  York,  187 


DARK    DAYS. 

One  of  the  most  memorable  dark  days  of 
the  last  century  took  place  May  19,  1780. 
In  this  town  it  commenced  to  darken  at 
about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  was 
past  twilight  before  half  past  ten  o'clock. 
Throughout  the  New  England  States  and 
some  adjacent  tracts  of  New  York  and 
Canada,  such  was  the  obscuration  that  in 
many  places  people  could  not  see  to  read  a 
line  at  mid-day  without  artificial  light.  For 
hours  it  continued  to  impart  to  surrounding 
objects  a  tinge  of  yellow,  and  awakened  in 
many  a  breast  apprehensions  of  some  im- 
pending calamity.  All  was  wrapped  in 
gloom ;  the  birds  became  silent,  domestic 
fowls  retired  to  their  perches,  and  cocks 
crowed  as  at  break  of  day.  The  darkness 
of  the  following  night  w.ts  so  intense  that 
many  who  were  benighted  and  but  a  little 
way  from  home,  on  well-known  roads,  c  )uld 


188       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

not,  without  extreme  difficulty,  retrace  their 
way  to  their  own  dwellings.  The  author,  in 
his  boyhood,  has  often  conversed  with  many 
of  the  oldest  inhabitants, —  among  them  were 
Messrs.  John  Carlisle,  William  Stacey,  Wil- 
liam Tetherly,  —  all  of  whom  were  Kevolu- 
tionary  pensioners,  and  they  well  remem- 
bered the  occurrence,  and  exemplified  the 
dense  blackn'^ss  of  that  night  by  saying 
"  that  an  object  held  up  near  the  fdce  could 
no  more  be  seen  tlian  a  piece  (  f  the  blackest 
velvet  put  in  close  conta  t  wiih  the  eyes." 
No  astronomical  or  meteorological  cause  has 
ever  been  assig-;ed  for  this  singular  phe- 
nomenon. 

'  Another  dark  day  occurred  May  lo,  1830, 
but  this  was  caused  by  an  ecliiise  of  the  f^un, 
at  mid-day. 


M'Kh^PH  Torn  of  Yovh,  189 

Di:y:Ki?Tr;)N  of  york  productioxs. 

A  travcll?r  th-.ouo^li  the  State  of  Maine,  \\\ 
1781,  after  returning  to  London,  published 
the  following  sketch  of  what  he  learned 
and  saw  while  in  York,  and  as  some  of  the 
information  contained  in  it  is  new.  to  those 
now  living  here,  it  is  highly  probable  that 
his  ideas  extended  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
town,  or  even  the  State. 

"  The  various  fruits  are  in  greater  perfec- 
tion than  in  England.  The  apple,  peach, 
and  pear  are  more  beautiful,  large,  and  lus- 
cious :  one  thousand  peaches  are  often  pro- 
duced from  one  tree,  five  or  six  barrels  of 
cidcft-  from  the  fruit  of  one  apple-tree,  and 
two  or  three  barrels  of  perry  from  that  of  a 
pear-tree.  Cider  is  the  common  drink  at 
table.  The  inhabitants  have  a  method  of 
purifying  cider  by  froist,  and  separating  the 
watery  part  from  the  spirit,  which,  being 
secured    in    proper  vessels,  and    colored    by 


190      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

Indian  corn,  becomes  in  three  months  so 
much  like  Madeira  wine,  that  Europeans 
drink  it  without  perceiving  the  difference. 
[This  was  undoubtedly  champagne,  in  its 
infancy.] 

**  They  also  make  peachy  and  perry ; 
grapi},  cherry,  currant,  and  many  other 
wines,  and  good  beer  of  bran  of  wheat,  molas- 
ses, pumpkins,  spruce,  and  malt.  The  spruce 
is  the  leaves  and  limbs  of  the  fir-tree  ;  *  their 
malt  is  made  of  chets,  barley,  maize,  oats, 
rye,  and  wheat. 

"  The  pumpkin,  or  pompion,  is  one  of  the 
greatest  blessings,  and  held  very  sacred.  It 
is  a  native  of  America.  From  one  seed  often 
grow  forty  pumpkins,  each  weighing  from 
forty  to  sixty  pounds,  and  when  ripe  of  the 
color  of  a  marigold.  Each  pumpkin  con- 
tains five  hundred  seeds,  which,  being  boiled 
to  a  jelly,  is  the  Indian  infallible  cure  for  the 

*  The  fir  and  spruce  are  here  confounded  :  the 
first  is  a  genus,  the  other  a  species. 


Mo:h'rit  To:rn  of  York,  101 


Btr;u!i:^ury.  Cf  its  meat  nre  made  custards, 
beer,  broad,  molas  cs,  sauc?,  vinegar,  and  on 
Thanksgiviiii^  d  .ys  jjies,  as  a  substilute  for 
what  the  Blue-laws  in  Conneciicut  would 
brand  unchrisuiin,  or  minced  pies.  Its  shell 
or  skin  serves  to  cut  the  hair  of  the  head  by, 
which  established  the  term  and  style  called 
pumphin-sJiell  fashion  !  and  very  useful 
lanterns. 

"  There  are  no  fruits,  grains,  or  trees 
growing  in  England  but  are  growing  in 
New  England.  The  English  oak  has  been 
thought  superior  to  the  American,  but  such 
is  not  the  case,  at  least  in  regard  to  our 
white  oak,  which  is  close,  elastic,  tough,  and 
hard  as  the  whalebone  dried.  The  chestnut, 
and  black  and  red  oak,  are,  indeed,  much 
inferior  to  the  white  oak.  'Jhe  ash,  beech, 
butternut,  chestnut,  elm,  liazel,  maple,  sassa- 
fras,  sumach,   walnut,  ••'  are  the  chief  timber 

*  In  enumeratiny  the  trees  of  Maine,  no  men- 
tion is  here  made  of  the  pine,  which  always  flour- 


102      xineient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

trees,  and  grow  to  an  amazing  bulk.  The 
butternut  cU-rives  its  name  from  a  nut  it  pro- 
duces, of  the  shape  and  size  of  a  puHet's  e^g, 
and  contains  a  meat  much  larger  than  an 
English  walnut,  and  tastes  like  fresh  butter. 
It  also  makes  an  excellent  pickle.  The  wood 
of  this  tree  produces  fine  but  tender  boards  ; 
its  bark  is  use:l  for  dyeing  black,  and  curing 
cutaneous  disorders.  In  February  this  tree 
yields  a  sap,  of  which  molasses,  sugar,  vine- 
gar, etc.,  are  made.'"  The  upland  maple  ti'ee 
also  affords  a  sap  equally  good,  and  both 
saps  make  a  pleasant  beverage  without  boil- 
ing, and  the  best  punch  ever  drank  in  the 
State  of  Maine. 

ished  to  such  an  extent,  tliat  the  appellation  of 
Pine  Tree  State  has  always  been  appropriate. 

*  Tills  traveller  and  writer  was  not  a  very  acute 
observer;  else  the  trees  differed  in  their  nature 
from  those  of  the  present  day.  Ko  grapes  have 
ever  been  gathered  from  thorns,  or  figs  from 
tJijstles, 


Modern  Town  of  York,         193 

**  Here  are  plenty  of  sheep  ;  their  wool  is 
as  fine  \\\v\  jL;ood  as  the  English.  A  common 
sheep  weighs  sixty  pourids,  and  sells  for  a 
dollar,  or  four  and  six  pence.  The  horned 
cattle  are  not  so  large  as  the  English,  yet 
some  have  been  known  to  weigh,  at  six 
years  old,  one  thousand  nine  linndred  pounds 
each,  and  fat  hogs  five  or  six  hundred 
pounds. 

"  The  whapperknocker  is  somewhat  larger 
than  a  weazel,  and  of  a  beautiful  brown  red 
color.  He  lies  in  the  woods,  and  subsists 
on  birds  and  worms ;  is  so  wild  that  no  man 
can  tame  him,  and  as  he  never  leaves  his 
home  in  the  day-time,  is  only  to  be  taken  in 
traps  in  the  night.  The  skins  of  these  ani- 
mals, being  very  fine,  are  much  sought  after 
for  making  muffs,  which  are  worth  from 
thirty  to  forty  guineas  apiece  ;  and  ladies  are 
very  vain  in  the  possession  of  tin?  small  ap- 
purtenance of  female  habikraent.' 


104      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

THE    SI  EVENS    CHILD    MUKDER. 

Some  time  in  (lie  year  1824,  Charles  Ste- 
vens was  tiieJ,  in  this  town,  for  the  murder 
of  his  son.  ^^lurJers  in  those  clays  were 
more  lare  tlian  at  the  present  time.  Such 
an  ass.mbl.ipje  in  York  as  was  present  at 
this  trial  has  scarcely  been  equalled  since, 
s  )  great  was  the  interest  felt  in  this  crime 
of  child-murder.  The  court-house  not  being 
sp;icious  enough,  the  trial  took  ])lace  in  the 
Congregational  church.  So  large  was  the 
at;endance,  it  was  necessary  to  shore  up  the 
galleries  with  upright  jjists  to  prevent  their 
brealan  J."  down ;  and  the  building  was 
filled  to  sufF  c  ti  n  day  after  day,  through- 
out the  trial.  The  body  of  the  boy  was 
found  floating  t  ither  at  sea  or  in  Portsmouth 
harbor,  nailed  up  in  a  box  cpiitc  loo  small  to 
coniain  it:  but  wa  ;  forced  in  by  doubling  up 
the  le_'s,  and   tying  them  witli  a  cord  round 


Modern  Town  of  York,         195 

the  neck.     It  was  said  the  death-blow  was 
struck  with  a  pair  of  kitchen  tongs. 

After  a  protracted  trial,  the  evidence  was 
considered  insufficient  to  convict  Stevens. 
After  his  release  he  left  York  for  Kittery, 
and  went  south,  and  committed  some  crime, 
for  which  he  was  sentenced  to  a  States- 
prison,  in  which  he  died  before  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period. 

MURPHY,  THE    WIFE    MUEDEHER. 

The  next  murder  following  that  of  Stevens, 
in  this  neighborhood,  did  not  occur  in  York, 
but  created  quite  as  much  sensation  in  the 
town  as  though  it  had  happened  there.  It 
was  of  a  man  named  Murphy,  living  at 
Kennebunkport,  who  killed  his  w"fe  in  a 
drunken  fit,  she  being  beastly  drunk  at  the 
time,  and  afterwards  burned  lier  to  death 
on  the  hearth  of  his  house.  (Stoves  were 
hardly    in    vogue    at    that    time.)     He    was 


lOfi       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

tried,  convicted,  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged 
on  a  given  day.  Before  the  time  had  arrived 
foi-  liis  execution  the  then  Governor  of  the 
State  died,  and  there  being  no  one  authorized 
to  sign  the  deat'.i-warrant,  he  lay  in  jail  a 
long  time,  was  finally  reprieved,  and  his  sen- 
tence was  commuted  to  imprisonment  for 
life  in  the  State-prison.  But  subsequently 
he  fell  and  broke  his  neck,  which  should 
have  been  done  for  him  by  the  hangman. 

BLACK    DINAH    PRINCE. 

On  the  surface  of  a  rock  on  the  hill  over- 
looking the  mill-dam,  and  at  the  intersection 
of  three  roads,  formerly  lived  an  old  negress 
called  Uinah,  in  a  one-story  hut,  who  was 
thought  by  some,  at  that  time,  —  as  negroes 
were  not  so  plenty  as  they  now  are,  —  to  be 
a  very  mysterious  personage,  although  noth- 
ing ever  occurred  during  her  lifetime,  either 
to  herself  or  anybody  else,  to  warrant  thia 


Modern  Town  of  York,         107 

belief.  Many  rumors  of  mysterious  occur- 
rences were  circulated  about  her,  but  nothing 
had  happened,  to  the  knowledge  of  either  the 
oldest  or  youngest  inhabitant,  except  that, 
soon  after  she  was  first  known  in  York,  a 
young  child,  supposed  to  be  hers,  died,  and 
that  she  buried  it  in  two  bread-trays,  in  her 
garden.  By  some  she  was  held  in  supersti- 
tious dread,  an.l  was  called  a  witch  and  sor- 
cerer, who  could  foretell  events.  It  was  said 
she  was  in  possession  of  a  v:  athcr-pan, 
which,  on  being  hung  over  her  tire,  brought 
frightful  hurricanes,  storms,  tempests,  whirl- 
winds, and  sometimes  carth(|uakes.  In 
regard  to  this,  we  may  well  say,  ''What  the 
mind  imagines  has  often  more  reality  for  it 
than  what  it  believes." 

She  never  wished  to  be  introduced  to  or 
become  acquainted  with  strangers.  Chil- 
dren, unaccustomed  to  black  people,  being 
scared  on  seeing  her,  she  would  fly  into  a 
violent  passion ;  and  although  very  sensitive  in 


198       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

regard  to  being  called  or  thought  black,  she 
often  uttered  the  expression  :  "  I  'se  so  brack 
I  shame'  go  nowhere."  Whether  from  bash- 
fulness  or  fear,  her  custom  was  to  close  the 
door,  and  peep  through  the  cracks  and 
crevices  —  and  these  were  not  few  —  in  the 
door  and  walls,  on  the  approach  of  passers- 
by,  as  though  fearing  they  were  coming  to 
see  her,  instead  of  looking  out  of  the  window 
—  the  architect  had  vouchsafed  her  two  —  or 
the  open  door. 

Her  hut  or  shanty  consisted  merely  of  a 
structure  composed  of  boards,  black  as  Time 
could  paint  them  ;  entirely  devoid  of  clap- 
boards without,  or  a  particle  of  lath  or  plas- 
tering within.  This  not  being  at  all  tenant- 
able  in  r.any  \veather,  her  time  was  then  spent 
in  visiting  white  acquaintances  whom  she 
took  a  fancy  to.  During  the  winter  months 
she  resided  on  the  south  side  of  [he  river, 
with  the  family  of  Mr.  Nathaniel  Kaynes. 
It  is  not  known  whether  Dinah  \^as  a  rela- 


Modern  Town  of  York.  109 

tive  of  black   Phillis,  who  also  lived  with  a 

family  named  Pvaynes. 

Being  of  a  morose  and  sullen  disposition, 
easily  vexed,  very  sensitive,  and  suspicious 
of  strangers,  her  circle  of  acquaintances  was 
rather  circumscribed.  Young  people,  and 
particularly  children  not  afraid  of  her,  she 
Mould  entertain  and  amuse  in  a  pleasing 
manner.  In  common  with  most  colored 
people,  she  liad  the  gift  of  song,  which  she 
frequently  exercised  with  great  fervor.  One 
of  her  songs,  chanted  with  especial  unction, 
was  — 


mm^t^^^t^^fMi 


Tobacco  is  an  Indian  weed,  grow  up  at  :norn,  cut  di>wn  at  fbc. 

But  an  elder  brother,  kuow'ngs'ie  adapted 
the  words  to  suit  herself,  told  her  she  didn't 
sing  it  right;  for  "tobacco  grew,  and  negroes 
chewed  it,  in  Guinea  but  they  didn't  like  to 
be  told  of  it;  for  negroes  also  came  from  that 


200      Ancient  City  of  Ooryeana, 

place,  and  were  the  first  to  bring  it  here." 
He  told  her  the  right  way  to  sing  it  was 

"  Tobacco  is  a  Guinea  weed; 
It  was  the  Devil  that  sowed  the  seed." 

And  the  reason  they  were  saved  the  trouble 
of  planting  it  themselves  was,  tliat  the 
negroes  —  whether  in  Guinea  or  America  — 
were  too  lazy  to  do  it  for  themselves,  and  his 
Satanic  majesty  performed  the  task  for  them, 
thereby  saving  them  both  toil  and  trouble. 

Dinah's  abhorrence  of  a  toad  or  frog  was 
well  known,  and  amounted  almost  to  a 
frenzy.  When  absent  from  home,  school- 
boys, knowing  her  weakness  in  that  respect, 
would  contrive  in  some  way  to  squeeze  them, 
without  killing,  under  her  door  or  through 
crevices  and  knot-holes  —  and  these  were 
abundant — into  her  abode,  and  on  returning 
her  fears  knew  no  bounds. 

Whib  Dinah,  in  the  waning  of  her  days, 
lived  with   the  Misses   Haynes,  she  seldom 


Modern  Town  of  YovJc.  201 

went  abroad,  and  v,as  so  rarely  seen  or  heard 
of  by  those  among  whom  she  used  to  live 
in  the  town,  that  it  was  thought  she  had 
gone  to  her  1  )ng  home,  iVom  which  no  trav- 
eller ever  returns ;  but  the  knowledge  that 
she  had  not  departed  this  life  was  ascer- 
tained by  a  tax-c.  Hector,  Avhile  performing 
the  fanclions  o'(  his  office,  some  time  between 
the  years  18'3G  and  1838.  He  says,  "I 
called  on  the  blisses  Raynes,  for  their  taxes, 
and  ^\■as  ushjred  into  a  dark,  large,  and  low 
kitchen,  an  I  while  awaiting  their  return  a 
long  lime  from  another  room,  where  they  had 
gone  to  get  the  money,  1  spoke  aloud,  that 
'  1  wished  they  would  hurry  up,'  as  the 
'  shades  of  night  Mere  falling  f <st,'  and  my 
road  out  to  the  highway  a  very  blind  one, 
when,  to  my  surprise  and  astonisliment,  a 
voice,  picked  and  squeaking,  answered,  '  Dey 
^'ili  be  out  presently.'  I  looked  around  the 
room  for  the  owner  of  the  voice,  and  all  I 
could  then  discern   in  the  dimmed  expanse 


202       Ancient  City  of  Got'geana, 

was  what  appeared  to  my  vision  to  be  a 
white  night-cap  hanging  on  a  chair-post. 
The  Misses  Rayncs  soon  ap'iearcd,  and  by 
their  light  I  saw  it  was  Dinah's  cap  on 
Dinah's  head,  and  the  voice  belonged  to 
Dinah,  who  was  sitting  beside  an  old  James's 
cooking-stove,  which  was  about  the  same 
color  as  her  face." 

Tradition  says  :  "  Some  years  before  her 
death,  and  about  the  time  she  gave  up  living 
alone  on  the  hill,  she  disposed  of  all  the 
paraphernalia  appertaining  to  a  sorcerer  and 
money-digger.  In  her  younger  days,  the 
islands  in  York  river  and  the  harbor,  and  off 
Portsmouth,  particularly  the  Isles  of  Shoals, 
were  said  to  contain  buried  money  ;  and  an 
old  negro  has  often  been  seen  by  sailors 
wandering  along  the  shores,  but  who  she 
was,  or  how  she  got  to  or  from  the  islands, 
remains  to  this  day  a  mystery." 

Before  Black  Dinah  Rollins,  who  was  a 
plebeian    devotee    of    St.    John's    Church, 


Modern  Town  of  York.          203 

Portsmouth,  N.  II.,  died,  which  was  about 
the  year  ISoS,  she  bequeathed  to  a  brother 
of  the  writer  of  this,  who  had  been  kind  to 
her,  an  "  indicator,''  to  indicate  the  location, 
and  a  "  divining-rod,"  to  designate  the  exact 
spot  where  the  precious  metals  lie  concealed 
that  may  once  have  b. longed  to  the  York 
Dinah.  The  i::dicator  consisted  of  a  small 
quantity  of  metallic  mercury,  sewed  up  in 
sections  in  a  piece  of  black  velvet ;  and  the 
use  made  of,  was,  to  hold  it  in  a  horizontal 
position  near  the  ground  supposed  to  contain 
the  treasure,  and  if  any  was  present  agitation 
took  place,  and  the  1.  cation  of  the  mercury 
became  char.gcd  However,  the  wife  of  the 
donee,  unaAvarc  of  its  immense  value  and  im- 
portance, unwittingly  consigned  it  to  the 
flames.  The  rod  resembled  a  common  walk- 
ing-cane, only  much  longer,  with  a  ferrule 
at  least  one  quarter  of  its  whole  length, 
pointed  at  the  extremity,  and  made  of  metal 
resembling  silver  in  appearance.     The   use 


204       Ancient  City  of  Gortjeuna, 

made  of  this  was  to  stick  it  into  the  grouud, 
and  if  either  silver  or  gold  were  present,  a 
peculiar  sound  was  produced  and  a  sensation 
felt  by  the  operator,  when  they  came  in 
iContact. 

Dinah  Prince,  as  before  mentioned,  was 
fond  of  children,  and  to  her  the  writer  of  this 
is  indebted  for  the  first  sight  of  the  military, 
for  a  company  of  soldiers  dressed  in  uniform. 
IIq  also  heard  at  the  same  time  martial 
music,  especially  drums,  which  he  detested 
'then,  and  ever  since  has  held  in  utter  abhor- 
rence, as  an  invention  of  the  arch-fiend. 
This  old  negro  took  him  in  her  arms  and 
fcarried  him  about  midway  of  M'Intire's  large 
(field,  to  a  wail  which  then  divided  it,  and  sat 
down  on  it,  remarking  that  she  meant  to 
keep  at  a  "  safe  distance  "  from  the  booming 
cannon  of  the  artillery,  and  discharge  of  guns 
jfrom  the  infantry ;  and  ever  and  anon  he 
fslid  from  the  Nvall  and  ensconced  himself 
Ibehind  it  when  the  firing  became  cont'nuous. 


Modem  Tmvrv  of  York,         20;>. 

supposing,  that  the  more  noise  the  greater 
the  danger. 

The  pomp,  pride,  and  ceremony  of  this, 
military  display,  and  the  noise  produced  on\ 
that  day,  affected  the  nerves  of  Dinah  for  at 
least  a  month  afterwards.  According  to  her 
expression : 

"  Couldn't  sleep  in  her  bed  ; 
Buzzy,  buzzy,  in  her  head !  *' 

At  one  time  she  received  a  pension  from 
the  United  States  government ;  but  subse- 
quently had  taken  refuge  in  the  York  alms- 
house, and  died  there  about  the  year  1840,. 
at  a  very  advanced  age.  Many  events  that 
occurred  during  the  Revolution  she  well  • 
remembered,  as  if  of  recent  occurrence. 

BETTY    POTTEK  ESTHER    BOOKER. 

On  the  dividing  line  between  York  and 
Kittery,  this  being  marked  by  ft  stone  wall 
£xtendin^    .ooj.t.h-w'e.st    and    8Q\4th-eagt,   far 


206       Ancient  City  of  Govgeana, 

from  any  highway,  and  near  a  dense  forest, 
lived,  prior  to  the  year  1832,  two  women, 
one  of  whom  bore  a  striking  resemblance  to 
the  description  in  the  Bible  of  Liicinda,  the 
witch  of  En-dor,  who,  at  Saul's  bidding, 
raised  up  Sumuel  from  liis  gl-ave.  These  old 
Avomcn,  who  were  called  Betty  Potter  and 
Easter  Booker,  inhabited  a  house  of  which 
the  air-line  dividing  these  two  towns  passed 
directly  lengthwise  through  the  centre,  con- 
sequently, when  lying  in  bed  their  heads 
were  in  York  and  their  feet  in  Kittery. 
Taxes  are  reckoned  per  capita^  and  by  that 
rule  they  were  citizens  of  York ;  but  as 
neither  one  possessed  goods  or  chattels,  and 
their  dwelling,  too,  was  scarce  worth  even  a 
name,  they  were  exempt  from  excises. 

They  gained  a  precarious  livelihood  by 
cultivating  a  small  patch  of  land,  on  which 
they  raised  a  few  vegetables,  and  the  pick- 
ing and  sale  of  berries,  and  raising  hens. 

A   par/.y   of  boys   once  rambling   in    the 


Modern  Town  of  York.  207 

woods,  being  overtaken  by  a  shower,  sought 
shelter  in  this  domicile,  and,  on  observing  a 
large  hole  in  the  roof,  where  the  rain  was 
pouring  in,  and  the  inmates  busily  engaged 
in  boring  auger-holes  through  the  floor,  for 
the  purpose  of  letting  the  water  run  into 
the  cellar  as  fast  as  it  came  in  through  the 
opening  in  the  roof,  the  following  colloquy 
ensued  : 

Writer.  —  Why  don't  you  repair  that  hole 
in  your  roof.  Miss  Potter  ? 

Mi^s  Potter.  —  Can't  do  it  ;  it  rains  so. 

W.  —  Why  don't  you  do  it  when  it  don't 
rain  ? 

Miss  P.  —  There  is  no  need  of  it  then. 

We  thought  this  the  quintessence  of  indo- 
lence tinctured  with  laziness  ! 

During  the  administration  of  President 
Andrew  Jackson  the  "  surplus  revenue"  was 
divided  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  United 
States,  but  Betty  and  Esther,  residing  on  the 
dividing  line  bpt:>yecn  Kittery  .ani]  York,  and 


208       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

not  in  cither  place,  and,  neither  town  owning 
tiiem,  they  failed  to  receive  their  respective 
shares.  Without  doubt  these  two  individ- 
uals were  the  only  exceptions  in  all  Uncle 
Sam's  dominions  who  were  without  this  lar- 
gess. Betty  died  in  1840,  at  the  house  of  a 
near  neighbor  in  Kittery,  named  Thomas 
Grant,  having  the  reputation  of  "  dealings 
with  familiar  spirits,"  and  Mr.  Grant,  enter- 
taining a  superstitious  fear  of  her  even  after 
she  was  dead,  she  was  buried  in  a  grave  ten 
feet  deep.  Soon  after  her  companion  left 
her  home  to  live  with  Mr.  Grant,  Esther, 
being  tired  of  living  alone,  disappeared,  and 
no  one  living  ever  knew  what  became  of  her ; 
but  ere  this  she  has  doubtless  joined  her 
once  earthly  associate 

"In  the  realms  beyond  the  stars, 
Past  the  gate  wliicli  Death  unbars." 

Another  brace  of  worthies  were  ]Molly  and 
Patty  ppoliej-j  two  sisters,  who  lived  not  far 


Modern  Town  of  TorJc,         200 

from  what  is  now  known  as  Godfrey's  Cove, 
which  is  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  between  York 
and  Kittery.  Their  habitation  was  j)artly 
underground,  which  they  fitted  up  and  made 
habitable  by  lining  the  inside  with  newspa- 
pers. Molly  was  stately  and  dignified  in  her 
manners,  and  on  the  occasion  of  her  periodi- 
cal calls  on  Madam  Judge  Sewall,  wore  her 
well-preserved  satin  or  silk  dress,  and  a  high 
black-silk  bonnet,  adorned  with  all  the  lace 
and  ribbon  she  was  able  to  muster.  On  the 
entrance  of  Madam  Sewall  into  the  room 
where  Molly  was  awaiting,  she  always  arose, 
and  with  a  dignified  and  graceful  curtsy  said, 
"  How  is  his  Honor,  and  how  is  your  Lady- 
ship, madam?"  after  which,  her  request  for 
aid  was  presented,  and,  there  is  reason  to 
believe,  never  in  vain.  Aside  from  such 
occasional  help,  it  is  difiicult  to  imagine  how 
these  sisters  sustained  themselves.  Both  of 
them  have  long  since  passed  away.  [Molly 
was  quite  a  reader,  and  conversed  intelli- 
gently and  correctly. 


210      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

SCHOOLS    AND    SCHOOLMASTEKS. 

The  school-house  in  which  the  writer  grad- 
uated stood  on  the  same  spot  now  occupied 
by  one  of  more  modern  architecture,  situated 
just  behind  the  Congregational  church  and 
Town-house.  It  was  a  small,  one-storied, 
wooden  structure,  without  cellar,  with  little 
underpinning,  and  rather  old,  the  chimney 
in  one  end  nearly  overtopping  the  door.  A 
roaring  fire  in  an  immense  fireplace,  wherein 
was  burned  whole  cord-wood,  was  then  em- 
ployed in  lieu  of  stoves  or  other  calorific 
appliances,  which  would  almost  literally  roast 
the  smaller  children  who  occupied  the  front 
seats,  while  those  in  the  rear  would  be  freez- 
ing. What  this  fireplace  lacked  in  grace 
of  finish  was  made  up  in  size,  it  being  five  or 
six  feet  wide,  and  proportionally  deep,  while 
the  chimney-flue  was  so  perpendicular  and 
ample  that  the  rain  and  snow  fell  down  to 
the  bottom  without  the  risk  of  striking  the 
sides.     Two  tiers  of  long  benches,  and  desks 


3Iod em  Town  of  York*  211 

to  match,  with  side  and  middle  aisles,  filled 
up  all  the  space,  except  what  was  occupied 
by  the  teacher  and  his  desk,  and  a  strip 
across  the  room  for  classes  to  recite  in. 

In  summer  the  school  was  taught  by  a 
woman,  who  was  paid  by  the  town  two  dol- 
lars a  week,  boarding  herself;  in  winter  it  was 
kept  by  a  man,  who  was  paid  six  dollars  a 
month  and  found.  Here  about  sixty  pupils, 
of  all  sizes,  from  adults  to  infants  of  three 
or  four  years  of  age,  were  assembled  during 
the  latter  portion  of  the  year  ;  the  place  and 
manner  of  treatment  being  arranged  as  much 
as  possible  on  the  principle  that  a  school- 
house  is  a  literary  penitentiary,  where  the 
more  suffering  there  is,  the  more  improve- 
ment. In  the  iron  book  of  life  we  had  read 
of  despots  and  have  seen  prisons  ;  but  there 
■were  few  tyrants  more  inhuman  than  the 
birch-and- ferule  despot  of  former  years,  or 
prisons  more  gloomy  than  the  old-fashioned 
school-house  under  the  tyrant  to  which  it 
was  usually  intrusted. 


"212      An&lmi  City  Of  Giyrgeana. 


A  few  particulaf^  may  not  be  unint^est-' 
ing:  The  fiid  fdr  the  school  consisted  of 
wood,  and  ^vas  brought  in  winter,  load  by 
ilo:id,  as  it  was  wanted,  and  thrown  in  a  heap 
:near  the  foot  of  a  big  elm  ;  though  it  occa- 
rsionally  liappened  that  we  got  entirely  out, 
:and  the  school  -was  kept  without  fire,  if  the 
:master  could  endure  the  cold,  or  dismissed  if 
tthe  weather  chanced  to  be  too  severe  to  be 
^rnc.  The  wood  was  green  pine,  hickory, 
3n*ple,  or  oak,  and  Avhen  the  fire  could  be 
iinduced  to  blaze  between  the  sticks,  then 
•"ensued  a  most  audible  frying  and  hissing, 
and  a  plentiful  aiaidation  of  sap  at  each  end. 
^Sometimes  the  AA'hole  tiimks  of  trees  were 
'Ml  at  the  door,  and  these  must  be  cut  with 
an  axe  ^^saws  for  that  purpose  were  then 
unknown.)  in  suitable  lengths  to  accommo- 
date themselves  to  the  fireplace.  This  task 
was  performed  by  the  largest  boys,  each 
taking  his  turn  at  it,  and  at  making  the 
fire,  every  morning.  This  latter  was  a  task 
that  called  forth  patience  and  endurance  — 


Modern  Town  of  York.  213 

causing  one  to  learn  the  first  quality  if  he 
had  none,  and  lose  it  if  he  had.  The  modus 
operandi  was  in  this  wise  :  First,  there  must 
be  a  back-log,  four  or  five  feet  in  length,  and 
at  least  a  foot  in  diameter  ;  then  a  top-stick, 
about  two-thirds  as  big ;  and  a  fore-stick,  of 
similar  dimensions,  on  the  andirons.  It  re- 
quired some  physique  to  remove  these  logs  to 
their  depository  ;  and  after  the  frame  of  the 
work  was  executed,  the  gathering  of  chips 
and  the  blowing  with  the  mouth,  the  coaxing 
and  the  wooing,  that  were  necessary  to  make 
the  f.ame  catch  hold  of  the  wet  fuel,  de- 
manded a  degree  of  exertion  and  forbear- 
ance well  calculated  to  inure  and  ripen 
youth  for  the  stern  endurances  of  manhood. 
The  school  commenced  at  nine  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  It  was  rare  that  the  effects 
of  the  fire  were  felt  as  early  as  this  ;  nor 
could  it  have  been  of  much  avail  had  it  done 
so,  for  the  school-room  was  almost  as  open  as 
a  sieve,  letting  in  the  bitter  blast,  often 
accompanied    by   rain    and    snow,    at    every 


214      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 


window  and  door,  and  through  an  almost 
fabulous  number  of  cracks  and  crevices  in 
the  thin  phistering  of  the  walls.  Never  were 
seen  such  a  miserable  set  of  blue-nosed, 
chattering,  suffering  creatures  as  were  the 
scholars  for  the  first  hour  after  the  opening 
of  school  on  a  cold  winter  morning.  Under 
these  circumstances,  what  could  they  do  ? 
Nothing !  and  they  were  expected  to  do 
nothing,  and  accomplished  it !  In  conse- 
quence of  the  unfitness  of  this  school-house 
for  use,  the  upper  hall  of  the  Court-house 
was  occupied  for  a  season.  Pending  this,  a 
vote  of  the  town  or  school  committee  was 
passed,  that  a  new  school-house  be  built, 
adding  these  jirudential  provhon  :  that  the 
new  house  occupy  the  site  of  the  old  one ; 
that  we  still  occupy  the  old  one  while  the 
new  one  is  being  built ;  that  the  materials 
comprised  in  the  old  be  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  new.  Consequently,  when 
the  new  one  was  completed,  it  consisted  of 
naught    else    but    the    old    one    bunglingly 


Modern  Town  of  York,         215 

patched  up  and  iiuskilfully  repaired.  After 
being  repeatedly  repaired,  it  was  burned, 
in  the  winter  of  18.38,  and  the  following  year 
the  present  one  was  built  on  the  same  spot, 
and  on  abont  the  samep^rme  of  architecture. 
The  books  then  in  use  are  now  scarcely 
known.  The  principal  horn-book  consisted 
of  "  Webster's  Primary  Spelling-book,"  the 
reading  matter  being  ^-Esop's  Fables,  with 
illustrations.  In  Arithmetic,  "  Colburn's  In- 
teUectual,"  for  the  younger,  and  "Walsh's" 
for  the  older  scholars.  The  reading-books 
were  the  "  Art  of  Reading,*'  and  "  American 
Preceptor,"  which  were  foUowx^d  by  "  Mur- 
ray's Reader,"  and  '•  Putnam's  Analytical 
Reader."  For  Grammars  :  '•  The  Young 
Lady's  Accidence,"  soon  after  succeeded  by 
"  Murray's  Grammar." 

METHODIST    CHURCH. 

Previous  to  1828,  Methodist  preachers  had 
filled  appointments  in  York.  The  celebrated 
Rev.  John  Xewland  Matlitt  was  instrumental 


216      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana* 

in  efforts  to  found  a  church  in  this  town. 
In  January,  1829,  a  class  was  formed,  con- 
sisting of  seventy-three  members,  by  the 
preachers  on  the  circuit.  Eevs.  J.  Spalding, 
Gcrshom  F.  Cox,  Binnister,  Adkins,  Fcnno, 
and  Hills,  were  among  the  first  preachers. 

Meetings  were  held  sometimes  at  school- 
houses,  and  at  others  at  dwelling-houses  in 
the  neighborhood.  February  28,  1831,  the 
people  were  incorporated  into  a  legal  society. 
As  they  grew  in  strength,  efforts  were  made 
towards  building  a  church.  A  proposition 
to  lease  a  piece  of  ground  of  the  Congrega- 
tional, or  First  Parish,  was  made  to  that 
f.ociety,  but  was  rejected.  The  Judicial 
Court  was  removed  from  York  in  ISoo,--' 
and  the  nse  of  the  Court-house  reverted  to 
the  First  Parish. 

*  York  was  made  a  shire  town  in  171(',  ahlioiiyh 
Maine  did  not  become  a  State  till  1S20,  but  all  the 
County  courts,  since  1833,  have  been  held  in 
Alfred. 


Modern  Town  of  TorJc,         217 

I _ 

At  a  parish  meeting,  in  1833,  the  use  of 
the  Court-house  was  gi-anted  to  the  Metho- 
dists on  the  Sabbath  for  four  months,  pro- 
vided "•  they  do  not  disturb  the  peace  or 
interrupt  any  other  religious  meetings;"  the  ' 
temperance  society  having  the  privilege  of 
holding  meetings  there  Sabbath  evenings 
whenever  they  may  order  or  direct.  A  piece 
of  land  was  finally  purchased,  and  the  church 
building  raised  August  30-31,  1833.  Octo- 
ber 15,  1834,  it  was  dedicated  by  Rev.  Ger- 
shom  F.  Cox.  He  preached  from  the  text, 
Daniel  ii.  44  :  ^'And  in  the  days  of  these 
Icings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a  king- 
dom^ ichich  shall  never  he  destroyed ;  and 
the  lingdoni  shall  not  he  left  to  other  people^ 
hut  it  shall  hveah  in  pieces  and  consume  all 
thr'se  h'nigdoms^  and  it  shall  stand  forever."' 
From  that  time  to  the  preseiit  Methodist 
services  have  been  sustained  licre.  Rev. 
Reuel  Kimball  is  the  pastor  at  the  present 
time    (1873).       They   have    a   neat   church 


21R       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

building  and  a  comfortable  parsonage.  The 
estimated  value  of  both  is  four  thousand  nine 
hundred  dollars. 

A  McthoiUst  society  was  formed  at  Cape 
Neddock  school-house,  May  18,  1822,  con- 
sisting of  ]Moscs  Brewster,  Hannah  Clark, 
George  Norton,  John  Norton,  Oliver  Preble, 
George  Phillips,  Timothy  R»msdell,  Obadiah 
Stone,  Henry  Talpey,  Jonathan  Talpey,  Ivich- 
ard  Talpey,  and  Samuel  Weldi,  and  a  cer- 
tificate served  on  the  clerk  of  the  First  Parish 
of  the  above-named  fact,  in  order  to  exempt 
from  payment  of  ministerial  tax  to  said  par- 
ish ;  but  there  is  no  recjrd  that  this  society 
were  ever  embodied  in  a  church,  or  had  any 
existence  as  a  distinct  society  any  great 
length  of  time.  The-y  united  with  the  Bap- 
tists in  building  their  church  in  1823,  and  in 
the  differences  that  arose  as  to  the  control 
of  it,  thej  probably  went  to  pieces,  and  some 
of  their  members  united  with  the  Baptists. 

The   Methodist    Society  at   Scotland  was 


3fod€rn  Town  of  York.         219 


gathered  about  the  year  1830.  In  this  year 
the  Conferei.ce  sent  Rev.  George  Webber  to 
preach  there,  and  meetings  were  held  in  the 
school-house,  and  some  religious  interest  was 
aroused.  Their  meeting-house  was  built  in 
1833.  Owing  to  the  weakness  of  the  society, 
preaching  has  not  been  continuously  sus- 
tained. Their  last  minister  was  Rev.  B.  F. 
Pease.  During  1872  they  were  without 
preaching:  present  membership,  about  thirty. 
A  comfortable  parsonage  belongs  to  the 
society. 

BAPTIST    CHURCHES. 

There  is  a  Calvinist  Baptist  society  at 
Cape  Xbddock. 

There  is  also  a  Freewill  Baptist  church 
and  society  on  the  rod'd  to  Scotland,  about  a 
mile  from  the  post-office.  Not  long  since 
its  name  was  changed,  and  it  i§  now  called 
a  "  Christian    Societr."     It  is    an    offshoot, 


220      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

or  infringement,  or  improvement  on  the 
old-fashioned  Freewill  Baptist  form  of  wor- 
ship. Elders  Peter  Young  and  Mark  Fer- 
nald  formerly  preached  here,  though  they 
were  always  identified  with  the  Freewill 
Baptists.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Charles 
Goodwin.  The  original  building,  which  was 
built  sixty  or  seventy  years  ago,  is  still  in 
good  order,  and  the  society  is  well  sustained. 
Elder  George  Moore  Payne  and  Dr.  Benja- 
min Colby  were  both  connected  with  the 
Freew'ill  Baptist  and  Christian  Churches. 

OTHER    SECTS    AND    RELIGIONS. 

In  contradistinction  from  the  principal 
denominations  were  a  few  others ;  and  some 
of  the  names  associated  with  them  are  still 
remembered  by  their  survivors.  Capt. David 
Wilcox,  who  kept  the  only  public  house  in 
York  village,  for  many  years,  opposite  the 
Court-house,  Avas  a  Unitarian  in  belief;  Capt. 


MofJevn  Toirn  of  York.         221 

Thomas  Savage  and  Squire  Alexander  M'ln- 
tire,  Universalists.  Solomon  Brooks,  Ksq., 
and  other  prominent  men  of  the  time,  also 
figured  conspicuously  in  lliese  movements. 

The  sect  called  C'ocln*anites,  were  the  fol- 
lowers of  one  John  Cochran,  a  crack-brained 
fellow,  of  low  degree,  who  taught  that  mira- 
cles could  be  wrought,  devils  cast  out,  the 
sick  healed  'by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  the 
lame  caused  to  walk,  tlie  blind  to  see,  the 
deaf  to  hear,  etc.  ;  and  who,  after  practising 
all  kinds  of  vicious  conduct,  was  indicted 
and  tried  for  his  crimes,  among  a  portion  of 
his  admirers.  In  York  a  few  meetings  were 
held  w  ith  a  view  to  found  a  sect,  but  failed 
for  want  of  support,  as  the  novelty  of  the 
scheme  soon  ceased  to  be  considered  any 
thing  but  presumption.  The  town  has  gen- 
erally been  quite  conservative  on  religious 
topics,  the  "  new  lights  '  in  belief  having 
failed  to  penetrate  to  any  considerable  extent 
into  this  region. 


222      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

FIRST    IRISH    IN    YORK. 

The  first  time  the  writer  ever  saw  Irish 
people  was  in  the  summer  of  1830.  The 
party  consisted  of  about  twenty  individuals 
of  both  sexes,  who  came  here  in  a  vessel, 
and  one  of  their  number,  a  man,  was  sick, 
and  died  a  few  days  after  they  landed.  They 
established  their  household  in  an  old  boat  or 
sail  house,  which  was  hastily  fitted  up  for 
their  occupancy,  and  was  situated  then  close 
to  the  south-westerly  end  of  Sewall's  bridge, 
and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  where 
David  Sewall's  sash  and  blind  factory  now  is. 
Our  people  were  amazed  at  their  singular 
appearance,  and  their  costume  and  language 
excited  great  laughter  among  crowds  of  men 
and  boys  who  were  continually  at  their  heels, 
for  they  invariably  sallied  forth  in  squads 
and  parties. 

They  landed  at  Emerson's  v  ha:f,  and, 
after  moving  their  luggage  away  and  estab- 


3Ioderti  Totni  of  York.  iii.'3 

lishing  quarters  for  their  sick  c(5mpanion  and 
themselves,  they  came  back  to  the  wharf — 
it  being  hijh  tide  —  and  commenced  fishing 
in  a  very  novel  manner,  without  the  aid  of 
either  bait  or  hooks.  Their  method  was  in 
this  wise  :  —  a  common  two  or  three  ounce 
phial,  tied  to  the  end  of  a  string,  was 
lowered  into  and  dangled  and  jerked  through 
the  water,  to  a  greater  or  less  depth,  and  if 
any  one  was  so  lucky  as  to  inveigle  or  cap- 
ture a  one  or  two  inch  minnow  into  this 
receptacle  and  land  it  on  the  wharf,  the 
whole  party  would  set  up  a  shout,  intermin- 
gled with  their  inexplicably  confused  jargon, 
that-  out-Babcled  Babylon.  This  result,  to 
them,  seemed  as  astonishing  and  extraordi- 
nary as  though  it  had  been  a  ten  thousand 
pound  whale. 

Another  act  of  theirs  completely  amazed 
those  of  our  Protestant  towns-people  who 
witnessed  it.  The  sick  man  died,  and,  to 
carry  out  the  fashion  of  tlieii'  creed,  t'ae  corpse 


224      Ancient  Clftj  of  Oorgenna. 

• 
lay  in  state  nearly  one  whole  day  and  night. 

In  the  centre  of  the  room  in  which  he  died  a 
catafalque  or  throne  was  improvised  of  old 
barrels  and  boxes,  with  M'hich  the  apartment 
abounded,  and  after  being  covered  with  the 
remnants  of  sails,  upon  this  the  deceased 
w^as  placed,  with  face  and  ffeet  exposed  to  the 
gaze  of  all  who  could  see  him,  by  the  light 
that  entered  the  open  door,  as  all  the  win- 
dows, if  there  were  any,  had  been  darkened, 
to  give  full  effect  to  the  lighted  candles  that 
w^ere  burning  at  the  head  and  feet  of  the 
corpse.  Clay  pipes,  pieces  of  tobacco,  and 
open  papers  of  snuff,  were  lying  on  both 
sides  of  the  body.  No  drinking,  waking,  or 
carousing  tock  place,  nor  extreme  paroxysms 
of  grief  were  manifested,  as  in  later  years  is 
indulged  in  on  similar  occasions  by  the  same 
class  of  people.  This  exhibition  continued 
a  nine  days'  wonder,  no  one  living  here  ever 
having  before  witnessed  the  like. 


I  '^ 


Modem  Toivn  of  Yorh,  225 

AXCIEXT    AND    MODERN    SCALAWAGS. 

Isaac  Davis,  better  known  as  Black  Isaac, 
the  fiddLr,  was  once  a  slave  in  Virginia, 
according  to  his  own  account  of  himself,  and 
escaped  from  liis  master.  He  came  from  a 
place  called  Eaton"s  Xock,  on  Long  Island, 
New  York,  and  wan  lered  into  Maine,  and 
then  b  came  acquainted  with  his  lovely 
spouse,  Cliloe  Ward,  and  married  her.  They 
had  fourteen  ebony  piccaninnies.  Isaac  and 
Chloe  are  both  dead,  and  the  fourteen  cheru- 
bim have  left  this  world  and  become  as  n\any 
cherubs  in  another  sphere,  or,  in  other  words, 
are  dead  also,  and  the  family  name  and 
every  thing  connected  with  it  have  become 
extinct.  Ho  invariably  attended  York  mili- 
tary trainings  with  his  fiddle,  and  although 
his  skill  in  music  was  limited  to  a  few  tunes, 
he  was  in  demand  all  day,  at  three  cents  a 
dance.  His  favorite  theme,  which  he  both 
sang  and  played  with  great  vehemence,  was, 


22G       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana* 

'•When  I  a:n  dead  and  gone  to  roost. '^ 
lie  lived  and  died  in  a  small  house  about 
half  a  mile  west  of  Cape  Neddock  village. 

A  mvdatto,  named  Tamar  Ward,  and  her 
sister,  Chloc  Ward,  Avere  daughters  of  Caesar 
^Vard,  who  was  once  a  slave,  and  known  as 
Cix'sar  Talpey,  he  once  belonging  to  a  Mr. 
Talpey.  The  mother  of  both  Chloe  and 
Tamar  was  also  a  slave,  and  owned  by  a 
Wearc  family  at  Cape  Xeddock,  Tamar, 
though  never  married,  had  a  daughter  who 
was  called  Rosanna  Frances  Basset  Ward. 
Tamar  took  great  pride  in  adorning  the 
person  of  her  daughter  in  habiliments  of 
white,  with  a  gi*eat  array  of  variegated  rib- 
bons, and  when  she  appeared  abroad  her 
whole  contour  bespoke  her  the  observed  of 
all  observers.  Both  Tamar  and  Chloe  died, 
not  long  sinc'j,  in  the  York  alms-house. 

Two  giim-visaged  and  dark-complexioned 
individuals,"  as  dusky-faced  as  even  Vulcan 
himself,  and  apparently  as  inseparable  as  the 


Modern  Town  of  yoik.         2'll 

Siamese  twins,  but  not  so  sallow  and  mum- 
mefied  in  their  faces,  were  often  seen  to- 
gether, especially  in  summer,  shuffling  along 
through  the  streets  of  the  village  part  of 
York,  each  be.iring  a  huge  pack  or  bundle  on 
her  back,  which  at  the  present  day  might 
be  mistaken  for  Grecian-bend.  In  a  season 
of  snow,  they  employed  a  small  hand-sled, 
on  which  to  transport  their  goods  and  lug- 
gage. Those  two  celebrities,  Hephzibah 
Cane  and  Mary  or  Polly  Austin,  were  said  to 
be  of  the  '^  feminine  gender,  or  persuasion." 
Hephzibah  was  born  in  Kittery,  Maine. 
Her  sister  Dorcas  married  a  man  named 
Austin,  Avho  lived  in  the  ^voods  near  Scit- 
uate,'-'  in  Y«rk,  and  these  were  the  parents 
of  her  companion  Polly. 

Hephzibah,  and,  for  aught  all  that  is 
known,  Polly  also,  were  said  to  have  deal- 
ings -with  familiar  spirits,  and,  consequently, 

♦  This  comprises  Schoul  District  No.  12. 


228       Ancient  Citu  of  Gorgeanai 

were  feared  and  shunned  by  those  who  knew 
no  better  than  to  think  so  ;  at  any  rate,  very 
few  people  desu-ed  their  company,  whether 
this  were  true  or  otherwise.  On  this 
account,  many  a  time  the  younger  portion  of 
the  community  were  superstitiously  alarmed 
on  their  appearance,  although  they  never 
were  known  to  molest  any  one.  But  no 
sooner  M^ere  they  supposed  to  be  out  of 
hearing,  than  the  shout  went  up,  "  There 
goes  Hip.  Cane  and  Poll  Ostin!"  Unluckily, 
once  they  M'ere  within  hearing  distance  of 
this  announcement,  and,  seeing  Hephzibah 
drop  her  bundle  and  run  towards  us,  the 
children  fled  for  refuge  into  the  schoolhouse. 
She,  to  their  horror,  followed,  came  to  the 
door,  and  inquired  for  the  teacher,  to  whom 
she  related  her  grievances  and  solicited  re- 
dress, which  she  obtained  by  the  teacher 
reprimanding  them  in  her  ]n-csence,  after 
being  ordered  to  their  seats,  although  the 
limits    of    their    meridian    intermission    had 


Modern  Town  of  ^ovk,         229 

not  fully  expired.  This  admonition  they 
supposed  was  the  finale  or  denouement  of 
the  whole  afifair,  but  they  were  mistaken. 
Miss  Cane  planted  her  gambadoed  and 
brogucd  pedal  extremities  firmly  on  the 
threshold  of  the  inner  door,  and  facing  us, 
both  hands  grasping  the  door-case,  after 
asking  the  teacher  if  she  could  give  her  "  a 
chaw  of  backey"  (tobacco),  uttered  the  fol- 
lowing :  "  Scribes,  Pharisees,  and  Hypo- 
crites, I  could  keep  a  better  school  than 
this!"  and  immediately  joined  her  compan- 
ion who  was  waiting  for  her  at  the  door,  and 
both  went  on  their  way.  Her  meaning  was, 
undoubtedly,  that  she  herself  in  keeping 
would  maintain  a  better  discipline,  and  dis- 
pense etiquette  among  scholars  in  order  to 
teach  them  to  practise  civility  even  to  scala- 
wags moving  in  her  sphere. 

Hephzibah  and  her  sister  Dorcas  always 
resid^^d  together.  The  former  has  been  dead 
a  long  time ;   Polly,  about  six  years. 


230     Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

PfltMITIVE    AND    INFANT    SCHOOLS. 

Somewhere  about  the  years  1827-9,  Miss- 
Mary  Jacobs  had  a  school  at  her  house  on 
the  hill  at  the  north-easterly  end  of  Sewall's 
bridge.  The  school  was  kept  in  summer  in 
the  kitchen,  where,  while  in  the  same  room 
learning  was  being  dispensed,  her  sister  was 
performing  the  functions  of  laundress,  or,  as 
dinner-time  approached,  the  culinary  art  was 
in  full  blast.  In  cold  weather,  her  parlor 
was  used,  which  contained  the  teacher's  bed- 
ridden mother,  who  was  awaiting  the  call  to 
a  quieter,  if  not  a  better  place  than  where  she 
breathed  her  last.  Nothing  of  an  ornamental 
nature  was  attempted,  the  branches  were  sim- 
ply arithmetic,  reading,  spelling,  and  writing. 
The  tuition  fee  w'as,  when  paid  in  cash,  six 
cents  per  week  ;  but  coffee,  sugar,  tea,  or 
any  article  of  food  or  the  necessaries  of  life, 
were  taken  in  barter,  and  were  just  as  accept- 
able as  cash,  and  on  as  favorable  terms* 


Mo:1ern  Town  of  YorJz.  231 

An  Infant  School  \va^  instituted,  as  a  sort 
of  expcri!ncnt,  under  the  auspices  of  S  ilomon 
Erooks,  Esq.,  and  o'Jiers,  previous  to  the 
year  1831.  Miss  Maria  Cliampney,  of  New 
Ipswich,  X.  II.,  was  the  instructor;  Miss 
E'izibeth  C'iark,  assistant;  the  writer  was 
assi  tant,  and  also  chorister  of  the  vocal 
dep;:rtmcnt,  of  which  this  was  a  very  promi- 
nent portion  of  the  school.  This  mode  of 
instruction  was  similar  to  the  Kindergarten 
method,  but  on  a  very  limited  scale,  viz.  : 
by  the  nse  of  object-teaching  aids,  with 
astronomical,  arithmetical,  gee  graphical,  geo- 
metrical, and  other  apparatus,  which  brought 
in  use  an  abacus  or  numerical  frame,  a  globe, 
hanging  maps,  and  an  orrery  (of  antique  con- 
struction, hung  up  by  a  string),  all  of  which 
weie  new  and  novel,  in  this  town,  as  was 
also  the  mode  of  teaching. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  instructors 
of  the  taught  schools  :  Master  Ilall  taught  as 
long  ago  as  1811-12;  followed  by  Kufus 
MTntirc,  Miss  Lydia  Main,  a  rigid  Baptist  ; 


232       Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

Wm.  Burleigh,  of  Berwick,  Dr.  J.  S.  Putnam, 
Wm.  Harris,  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  ;  Mark 
Dennett,  of  Kittery  ;  George  W.  Came,  kept 
several  terms. 

SHOWER    OF    METEOES. 

Near  the  close  of  the  year  1833,  in  No- 
vember, occurred  a  johenomenon  never  before 
witnessed  in  this  quarter.  Soon  after  mid- 
night on  the  morning  of  the  thirteenth,  the 
meteors,  called  falling  stars,  were  observed 
to  be  unusually  frequent,  and  after  four 
o'clock  the  heavens  presented  one  of  the 
most  sublime  and  extraordinary  appearances 
that  can  be  conceived.  Imagination  can 
hardly  picture  anything  to  exceed,  or  even 
equal  it.  Small  bodies  of  surpassing  bril- 
liancy, apparently  as  numberless  as  the  stars 
in  the  firmament,  were  seen  fiying  in  all 
directions  through  a  clear,  unclouded  sky, 
leaving  long,  luminous  trains  behind.  Often, 
one  larger  and  more  brilliant  than  the  rest 
would  sweep  across  the  hec.vens,  nearly  fron^ 


Modem  Town  of  lorJc.  233 

horizon  to  horizon,  producing  a  light  similar 
to  a  flash  of  li^litning  ;  at  the  sanie  time  mil- 
lions were  diverging  from  the  zeniih,  and 
scintillating  through  their  descent,  until  lost 
below  the  horizon.  In  whatever  direction 
the  eye  was  turned,  the  scene  could  not  be 
compared  more  aptly  to  anything  than  a 
shower  of  fire  falling  to  the  earth.  Thou- 
sands of  individuals,  scattered  over  the  vast 
portion  of  North  America  stretching  from 
Nova  Scotia  to  Mexico,  witnessed  the  sub- 
Jime  spectacle.  As  daylight  advanced,  the 
meteors  were  less  frequent  and  began  to 
disappear ;  but  some  were  seen  as  long  as 
the  stars  were  visible. 


CENSUS    OF    YORK. 

t 

The  census  of  York,  at  the  present  time, 
according  to  statistics  furnished  by  Jeremiah 
S.  Putnam,  M.  D..  is  abo;t  two  thousand 
eight    hundred     and     lifty-four    inhabitants. 


234      Ancient  Citij  of  GoVtjeana. 


Tho  sexes  are  about  equally  divided  —  there 
being  only  a  slight  predominance  in  favor  of 
the  female  sex.  About  six  hundred  and  fifty 
males  over  twenty-one  years  of  age  are  enti- 
tled to  vote.  There  is  only  on  3  colored  per- 
son—  a  negress,  in  her  teens  The  town 
contains  five  hundred  houses,  and  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  farms. 

York,  although  lying  largely  upon  the  sea- 
coast,  "vvith  a  good  harbor,  is  more  of  an 
agricultural  than  a  commercial  place.  A  few 
small  craft  are  employed  in  fishing,  and  in 
summer  about  a  dozen  small  schooners  im 
coasting  and  freighting  brick,  hay,  wood,  &c.. 
The  principal  export  is  hay,  of  which  from: 
one  to  two  thousand  tons  are  sent  away- 
yearly.  Huckleberries,  which  were  always 
abundant  in  former  times,  have  become  a 
specialty  in  thei?  season. 

The  area  is  about  fifty  square  miles,  geo- 
graphically divided  into  fifteen  school  dis- 
tricts, viz.:   1.    Centre;    2.    lUiynes'  Neck; 


Modern  Town  of  York.  235 

3.  South  Side;  4.  Scotland;  5.  Biixham ; 
6.  Beech  Ridge;  7.  (United  with  5);  8. 
North  ViUage  ;  9.  Ground  Boot  Hill,  West ; 
10.  Ground  Root  Hill,  East;  11.  Cape  Ned- 
dock,  East;  12.  Scituate ;  13.  Cider  Hill; 
14.   Pine  Hill;   15.   Cape  Xeddock. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The  manufactures  in  York  are  very  limited, 
and  have  never  to  any  great  extent  occupied 
the  attention  of  the  jiecple.  Messrs.  J. 
Chase  &  Son's  woollen  mill,  at  the  outlet  of 
Chase's  Pond,  manufactures  a  limited  amount 
of  flannel  and  fulled  cloth,  principally  for 
producers,  who  furnish  their  own  wool  ana 
yarn.  Numerous  saw  and  shingle  mills  cut 
considerable  quantities  of  lumber, 

Messrs.  Norton  &  Leavitt,  on  York  river, 
between  the  two  bridges,  manufacture  au 
excellent  quality  of  brick,  which  finds  a 
ready  sale  in  Boston  and  clse\yhere,      They 


23G      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

have  commenced  an  extensive  business, 
erected  a  large  steam  engine,  and  built  a 
commodious  wharf.  The  same  firm  have 
purchased  the  Barrcll  mill-pond,  contain- 
ing about  twenty  acres,  and  interd  to 
rebuild  the  dam,  in  order  to  exclude  the  salt 
water,  and  engage  in  the  production  and 
shipping  of  ice.  Vessels  can  be  laden  with 
great  facility  at  the  side  of  this  dam. 

John  E.  Staples  manufactures  all  kinds  of 
monumental  marble  work.  His  monuments* 
tablets,  and  tombstones  are  not  excelled  in 
design  and  workmanship  in  all  New  England. 
He  has  also  a  branch  manufactory  of  like 
kind  in  Kennebunk.  Mr.  Staples  is  a  native 
of  York. 

David  Sewall,  at  the  end  of  Sewall's 
■bridge,  manufactures  doors,  blinds,  etc. 

Henry  Moulto.n  &  Company  manufacture 
;aJJ  Mnds  of  ja,4tes .  steps,  .reyolvin»  clpthes- 


Jifoderu  Town  of  VorJc.  237 

dryers,    ct'.,    ar  I     arc     doing    a    very  good 
business. 

Should  th?  contemplated  railroad  be  built 
in  the  right  place,  and  no  etideavor  be  made 
to  shun  that  pcrlion  of  the  town  from  which 
it  would  derive  the  most  business,  the  trade 
with  Boston  and  Portland  now  carried  on 
by  coasting  vessels  may  be  diverted  to  it- 
With  such  facilities  of  connection,  no  doubt 
manufactories  would  also  be  established. 
Adding  such  advantages  to  the  beauties 
nature  has  bestow^ed  upon  it,  York  might 
resume  its  place  among  the  most  thriving 
towns  in  Xew  England. 


SEA-SIDE    KESOETS. 

The  Goodwin  House,  Charles  Goodwin, 
proprietor,  recently  built,  and  situated  on  the 
easterly  bluff  at  the  end  of  the  Short  Sands 
Beach,  near  the  Marshall  House,  will  accom- 


238      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 

modate  about  twenty-five  guests,  and  is 
well  patroni/ed.  ( )ceupyin<^'  a  very  elevated 
position,  it  affords  a  fine  view  of  the  ocean, 
and  is   a  desirable   summer  residence  either 

for  health  or  pleasure. 

Beyond  the  Long  Sands  Beach  is  a  high 
cape  oi'  promontory,  at  the  extreme  end  of 
which  is  the  York  Nubble,  before  alluded  to. 
Near  but  beyond  this  beach,  on  this  cape, 
is  the  Bowden  House,  of  moderate  dimen- 
sions, and  there  are  several  private  summer 
cottages,  pleasantly  situated,  and  affording  a 
fine  sea  view. 

Midway  of  the  Long  Sands  Head  is  the 
Sea  Cottage,  kept  by  Mr.  Charles  A.  Grant. 
The  beach  here  is  not  excelled  for  riding 
and  driving  by  any  other  on  the  Atlantic 
coast ;  and  although  the  view  to  the  east 
is  partially  obstructed  by  the  Nubble,  and 
that  to  the  west  by  the  eastern  poinit  form- 


JTodcrn   Toirn  of  York.  2o0 


ing  York  harbor,  yet  it  is  a  beautiful  place, 
affording  a  fine  view  of  the  ocean  and  Boon 
Island.  Under  the  management  of  Mr. 
Grant,  who  is  kind,  genial,  and  large-, 
hearted,  the  Sea  Cottage  will  long  be  consid- 
ered a  favorito  resort.  .   ■ 

Here  the  Atlantic  Ocean  may  be  seen  in 
its  grandest  phases  and  in  all  its  fitful  moods  ; 
and  here  the  toil-worn  invalid  inhales  fresh 
vitality  and  strength,  with  every  breath,  from 
the  invigorating  sea-breeze,  which  cools  the 
ardor  of  the  hottest  summer  sun. 

There  is  also  the  Cape  Xeddock  House,  a 
place  long  known,  k^pt  by  M.  C.  Freeman, 
which,  although  not  a  sea-side  resort,  de- 
serves especial  mention.  Let  the  traveller  on 
his  way  from  Portsmouth  to  Portland  once 
stop  there,  and  he  will  ever  after  "time  it" 
so  as  to  stop  again  and  again. 


240      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana, 

VESSELS SHIPPING COASTING. 

Some  seventy-five  years  ago,  the  shipping 
to  and  from  this  port  was  considerable. 
There  were  five  wharves  on  the  north  side 
of  the  river,  with  the  necessary  store-houses, 
etc.,  for  forwarding  and  receiving  cargoes, 
nearly  all  of  which  have  disappeared,  or  are 
in  a  ruinous  condition.  Then  the  mer- 
chants of  York  were  largely  engaged  in  the 
West  India  trade,  and  many  vessels  were 
owned  in  the  town,  and  lay  at  the  wharves 
discharging  or  receiving  goods. 

Edward  A.  Emerson  had  a  ship-yard  on 
the  declivity  behind  the  "  Grow"  house,  near 
the  wharf  now  owned  by  George  A.  Marshall. 
Once  a  vessel  of  larger  dimensions  than  was 
usually  built  there  was  constructed  under 
Shipbuilder  Graves,  of  Kittery,  and,  on  being 
launched,  was  christened,  by  dashing  a  bottle 
of  wine  against  its  bows,  as  it  slid  into  the 
water,  and  calling  it  "  Agamenticus."  Jona- 
than S.  Barrell,  Samuel  Lunt,  the  Emersons, 


Modem  Toufn  of  York.  241 

Lymans,  and  others,  were  largely  interested 
in  shipping.  At  that  time  there  were  five 
stores  in  the  central  part  of  the  town,  trans- 
acting a  large  business.  There  were  baker's, 
barber's,  carpenter's,  harness,  painter's,  and 
tailor's  shops  ;*  and  masons  and  ship-carpen- 
ters, and  other  citizens,  found  ready  employ- 
ment. There  were  two  tanneries  :  one  on 
the  Nicholas  Sewall  place,  and  another  car- 
ried on  by  Storer  Sewall,  noarly  opposite  the 
present  residence  of  Dr.  J.  S.  Putnam ;  also 
a  brick-yard  owned  by  George  S.  Junkins, 
near  the  York  corner. 

The  business  of  coasting  to  Boston  and 
Portsmouth  was  quite  extensive.  Railroads 
being  unknown  and  stage-fares  expensive, 
advantage  was  taken  of  this  mode  of  convey- 
ance by  almost  all  travellers,  especially  ser- 
vants, going  from  or  returning  home  on  a 
visit,  as  this  was  the  only  means  within  the 
scope  of  their  purse.  They  were  required  to 
provide  their  own  subsistence  ;  and  many  a 
vovaser,  i.las  !  after  lavinu:  in  his  or  her  stock 


242       Jnclent  City  of  Gonjeana, 


of  more,  even,  than  was  thought  requisite, 
has  fouiiJ  the  vcss.l,  by  stress  of  weather  or 
adverse  winds,  diverted  from  her  course,  and 
the  voyage  o  •cui)ying  more  days  than  it  should 
have  occupied  hours,  in  reaching  its  desti- 
nation. In  such  an  emergen'cy,  access  was 
obtained  to  the  skipper's  hirder,  to  prevent 
suffering  and  avert  starvation. 

SLOOP-AVrtECK CAUSE  —  VERDICT. 

On  the  highest  })oirit  of  Stage  Neck,  which 
extends  into  the  sea,  a  temporary  light  was 
sometimes  lioisted  on  an  upright  pole,  about 
fifteen  feet  higli.  One  dark  night  a  sloop  ran 
on  these  rocks,  and  was  wrecked.  A  sur- 
vivor, on  being  questioned  about  the  catas- 
tropI:e,  said,  ''The  vessel  struck,  turned  over 
on  her  side,  ;ind  the  skipper  and  another 
barrel  of  whiskey  rolled  overboard." 

'•  Verdict.  —  Wj  find  that  the  deceased  fell  from 
liiasl-hcad.  ;ind  was  kllk'd  ;  he  rolled  overboard, 
and  was  drowned;  lie  floated  asliore,  and  froze  to 
death,  and  the  rats  eat  \.\\a  up  alive." 


3Io(lern  Toivn  of  York,  243 


SITE    OF    A    FORT ROARING    ROCK. 

On  the  bluft'  last  spolvcn  of  arc  still  to  be 
seen  the  remains  of  old  forts  built  during  the 
war  of  the  Revolution  and  that  of  1812,  as  a 
protection  to  the  harbor  entrance,  which  it 
commanded.  Thev  were  armed  and  manned, 
at  that  time,  to  repel  any  attempted  landing 
of  the  British.  The  outlines  and  rude  sti'uc- 
Uire  of  these  forts  are  plainly  visible.  But- 
tons, from  the  coats  of  soldiers,  were  recently 
dug  up,  while  removing  the  foundations  of 
one  of  them,  and  are  preserved. 

!Many  strange  stories  are  told  of  Roaring 
Rock.  One  was,  that  the  cavern  extended 
up  "  under  '  Sentry  Hill,'  and  that  it  had 
sheltered  pirates,  etc.  :  a  bold  adventurer  had 
explored  it  as  far  as  he  dared  to,  and  till  his 
lii^ht  began  to  burn  blue."  But  this  is  not 
to  be  credited,  as  the  billows  are  incessantly 
rolling  into  it.  '' Sentry  Hill "'  is  used  as 
a  looh-ont  by  tlic  government  coast-survey. 
These  bluffs  are  tlie  headlands  of  history. 


2U      Ancient  City  of  Gorgeana. 


EXPENSE    OF    AN    OEDINATION. 

We  copy  the  following  list  of  supplies  fur- 
nished at  an  ordination  in  1750,  in  order  to 
compare  them  with  p. ices  of  the  same  com- 
modities at  the  present  day  : 

1  barrel  (lour, 

3  bushels  apples, 

2  barrels  cider,  • 
2  gallons  brandy, 
1  bottle  vinegar, 

54^  lbs.  pork,  Id.  lb. 

8  fowls,  6  candles, 

1  ounce  nutmegs, 
29  pounds  sugar, 

1  teapot,  1  pound  tea,  2 

4  gallons  rum, 

2  bushels  cranberries,  2 

1  pound  ginger, 
4  ounces  pepper, 

2  cheeses,  Qd.  per  lb. 
6  jgallons  raolasses,  2s.  St/,  gallon. 


£14 

7.S. 

6r?. 

$71.87 

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Mat  sJi a II  Ho  use . 


^;^^XK  of  the  principal  fetitures  of  York 
"^^      Harbor  is  the  Marshall  IIoi  sr:. 

Situate.!  iipoii  t!ie  ele/atod  g-round  of  Sta^e 
Xeck,  it  is  the  first  object  to  attract  attention 
in  ap[)roaching'  the  YiHage  by  hind  or  sea, 
and  the  hist  to  disappear  on  leaving.  The  sit- 
uation-of  the  Maksiiajj.  liurSE  is  the  subject 
of  constant  remark  among  visitors.  Immedi- 
ately in  front  of  the  hotel,  upon  t)ie  outer  ed<^e 
of  the  isthmus  which  joins  Stage  Xeck  to  the 
mainland,  lie  the  far  famed  "Short  Sands,"  a 
hard  smootli  l^eacli  daily  crowded  bv   bathers. 

The  view  from  the  verandas  of  the  hotel 
comprises  a  variety  of  scener}-  unexcelled 
among  tlie  many  resorts  of  Xew  England. 
To  the  northward  the  eye  takes  in  a  pictur- 
es(pie  stretch  of  rocky  coast  dotted  Avith  cot- 
tages and  having  a  green  back  ground  of 
forest.  To  tlie  east  the  blue  reaches  of  the 
ocean  are  unobstructed  save  by  Boon  Island 
Avith  its  light,  nine  miles  ?eaward. 

Towards  the  Avest  and  south  the  vicAv  com- 
prises a  beautiful  combination  of  forest  and 
farming  country  Avith  the  lovely  York  Kivcr 
lloAvinii-  between. 


Marshall  House, 


Till':    MARSHA  LI.    HOUSE 

W:is  0])eiied  by  Hon.  Xatliaiiiel  (r.  Marshall  the 
father  of  the  present  proprietor,  ]Mr.  Edward  8. 
iMarsliall,  in  1871. 

It  has  two  main  t'rontaues  of  17<>  feet  eaeh 
besides  extensive  Avings,  all  snrroniuU'd  by  A'er- 
andas  1(5  feet  in  width. 

The  honse  possesses  every  improvement  in- 
eidcnt  to  a  iirst  class  liot(d :  spacious  parlors, 
a  lariic  cool  dining'  room,  readin*;-  rooms,  dance 
and  l)illiard  halls :  while  Uie  suites  and  single 
rooms  are  each  perfect  in  themselves. 


Ti^E     CIjIFI^    IKIOXJSE. 

IJald  ih'iul  Clirt",  noon  wliich  the  house  stiinds  and 
from  whicli  it  liikc.-i  ics  nanie,  is  (jflO  feet  in  leiij^tli  and 
upward.'^  of  lO:)  feet  in  iicrpendienln'-  li'''<i-ht.  It  is  easily 
riMclicd  by  stiige  froju  York  Bcacli  Station. 

The  hou-ie  and  fiiriii  liings  arc  new  aiul  of  modern 
aiehitectnre.  Oi)i!n  fire  place:?  in  parlors.  From  every 
room  the  views  of  Hie  ocean  exlendinfi^  from  Cape  Por- 
poise to  Isles  of  Shoals,  are  wild  and  varied,  while  in- 
land the  views  are  niay:nitieeiit  in  the  extr(Miie.  There 
are  •_>.">.>  tei't  of  \  evanda,  with  the  Grand  (Jld  Ocean  -witli- 
iu  an  hundred  feet. 

r.athiiig-  and  tii.-iiin^  from  the  rocks  aloiii^:  tin;  shore 
and  l)oats  for  sailiiifi' or  dee)i  sea  lishkug.  Livery  sta- 
ble coiiiiecte<l  with  the  house. 

We  have  a  tine  farm  and  dairy,  thus  atTording  fresh 
proiluce  and  piire  milk  daily. 

Two  mails  daily  are  received  at  the  house  and  wire 
communication  to  all  points,  by  'l\dephoni;  from  Ogiin- 
(piit,  two  miles  distant.  For  further  particulars  apply 
to  the  proprsetor, 

E.  T.  WEARE,  Ogunquit,  Maine. 


i&m 


Tlie  house  has  a  most  ilelightlul  situation,   (bcinjr  the 
highest  ill  this  vicinity,)  coniii:aiuling  an  unobstructed 
view  of  varied  inland",  river  and  ocean  scenerj'. 
W.  G.   VARRELh,  Prop. 

HA  R  R  V  M.  VARRE 1 1.,  Clerk. 

yoiiK  HA  11  null,  me. 


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THE  YORK  CODRANT. 


YORK'S    only    newspaper,    was  pnl)lis]iril    at 
South  Berwick  from  Nov.  7,  1800  to  Se])t    4 
]8i)l,  when  the  plant  of  the  CouiiANr   and  Life 
was  purchased  and  located  at  York  Corner,    Me., 
\)y  the  present  i)roprietor. 

York  is  fast  heconiinii-  the  Icadinii'  watering 
l)laee.  The  people  are  alive  to  its  lieauties  as 
such.  IMao'nilicent  Hotels,  Tiank.  Railroad, 
and   Water-works.        No   Ih'tter  I-eac!i  on  Earth. 

Tlie  Cor  KANT  is  brla-hl.  sjcirklin;^'  and  alive 
to  the  Lest  interests  ol'  York. 

Evervbody  should  subscribe  for  the  Coi'K- 
ANT  and  learn  about  the  York  of  tcday. 

Price  $\  i')0  per  annum,  in  advance. 


GEORGE  F.  PLAISTED, 

Fcinuhr,  KdUor  and  Proprietor 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DAT 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


B     000  019  484     5 


